Powdered Alcohol? States to Ban Before it Even Hits Market

Could we soon be ingesting powder infused with alcohol? Such a product indeed exists, though it may not so easily be available at your social gatherings. Lawmakers in several states want to ban the new powdered alcohol product before it even hits the market.

Created by Arizona entrepreneur Mark Phillips“Palcohol” is the brand name for a new powdered alcohol. Unlike other products that are simply powder and then need alcohol added, this powder is already alcoholic. When mixed with water, it could become a cosmopolitan, mojito, margarita, or lemon drop cocktail.

While it isn’t clear where the powdered alcohol will be able to be purchased, states are already preemptively banning the new product in fear of it being heavily abused. Not only could children get ahold of yet another substance, but it would give people another ‘another way to mistreat their bodies.’ What’s more, it could be abused in the form of being snorted, a fear voiced by multiple individuals.

“The potential for abuse outweighs quite heavily the need for that type of product,” Carpenter said. “It would just make life a lot less complicated if we just didn’t go there.”

Though not everyone is worried about such concerns. Ban bill sponsors is curious as to how the powdered alcohol product might be “snorted” or “sneaked into” venues closed to alcohol, possibly to the under-aged. The “Palcohol” packages are larger than mini bottles used by airlines.

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As for the ‘snorting’ issues, Mark Phillips says snorting powdered alcohol won’t catch on because it hurts and burns, and it’s a less-than optimal, slow method of intoxication.

Phillips has said he just wants his product “approved, taxed, and regulated” like the others.

Still, many states are worried. Powdered alcohol bans have been introduced in rapid order in states as varied as Colorado, Nebraska, Utah, and Wisconsin. Though the actual number of states that may consider banning the product won’t be known until the deadlines for new bills are reached.

Last spring, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, an arm of the U.S. Treasury Department, approved “Palcohol” and then rescinded its approval over labeling issues. Phillips’ company, called Lipsmark, hopes to overcome that hurdle shortly.

State legislatures from both major political parties are quick to act on bills to ban powdered alcohol, mostly on the argument that the new product will increase underage drinking.

If it gains federal approval, the powdered alcohol product will be subject to all the same state laws that govern the sale and possession of alcohol in liquid form.