More States Considering Ban on Powdered Alcohol

Lawmakers in a growing number of states are considering banning powdered alcohol, a product that has not yet arrived in stores, according to the Associated Press.

Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, South Carolina and Vermont already have banned powdered alcohol, also known as “Palcohol.” Minnesota, Ohio, New York and Colorado also are considering bans, the article notes.

Critics say Palcohol could increase underage drinking. It is marketed as an ounce of rum or vodka in powdered form, which is mixed with water. Lipsmark, which owns Palcohol, says each serving is the equivalent of a shot of liquor.

“I think being proactive and jumping out in front of the problem is probably the right thing to do,” said Chris Johnson, Executive Director of the County Sheriffs of Colorado. “It really doesn’t have any place in our society, powered alcohol. We have enough problems with the liquid kind.”

Mark Phillips, who created Palcohol, says in a video on the product’s website that it would be sold only at liquor stores to people who are at least 21 years old. The company says the product will not be available in stores until this coming spring at the earliest. It must first receive labeling approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

Earlier this year, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer of New York urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent federal approval of Palcohol. He said it could become “the Kool-Aid of teen binge drinking.” He asked the FDA to investigate the potential harmful effects of the product.