Move to Outlaw Grain Alcohol Gains Momentum in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse has said it supports a ban on 190-proof grain alcohol in the state, following the death of a 22-year-old resident who drowned in his family’s swimming pool after drinking punch that included 190-proof grain alcohol.

According to the Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR), at the University of Maryland at College Park, grain alcohol contains 95 to 97.5 percent alcohol, compared with 4 to 6 percent for beer, and 7 to 15 percent for wine. Pure alcohol is extremely potent and takes only a few ounces to raise a person’s blood alcohol level into the danger zone, CESAR notes.

The Marquette Tribune reports grain alcohol can cause permanent brain or liver damage if consumed in large quantities.

Wisconsin State Representative Peggy Krusick told the newspaper she is working with health care officials, law enforcement, district attorneys and families to draft a bill to outlaw grain alcohol in the state. The article notes 190-proof grain alcohol is banned in some other states, including neighboring Minnesota.