State rep looks to ban powdered alcohol

The introduction of powdered alcohol is raising concern across the nation, and Colorado is joining other states in attempts to ban the substance through legislation until lawmakers and state officials get a handle on it.

Powdered alcohol, dubbed Palcohol after the company that manufactures the product, has set some politicians in a frenzy. Concerns have only increased since the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau rescinded its approval for the substance in April 2014.

Since that time, lawmakers have assembled to block the sale of Palcohol in liquor stores.

Already, eight states such as Alaska and Delware have banned the product, with Illinois and Wisconsin legislators proposing bills to do this same this session.

Since it is a powder, Palcohol falls outside the liquid alcohol regulations in Colorado, said Rep. JoAnn Windholz, R-Commerce City, who is sponsoring a bill to temporarily ban its sale in the state until Colorado enacts regulations for it.

“It’s important we try to get out in front of this and be proactive,” Windholz said.

In Windholz’s bill, she is also seeking an FDA approval before powdered alcohol is sold.

“We don’t know about powdered alcohol,” said Jeanne McEvoy, of the Colorado Licensed Beverage Association. “More information needs to be known about it. It is ripe for abuse.

Some of the unknowns include the amount of alcohol by volume, McEvoy added. Once properly regulated, though, McEvoy said she would like to see powdered alcohol make it to market.

Concerns over accessibility to kids, spiking drinks and smuggling the powder onto airplanes and in nightclubs have been some of the arguments for why states should ban the item.

The creator of Palcohol, Mark Phillips, stated in a YouTube video that public fears over the misuse of the product are false and urges the public to make up its own mind “versus getting caught up in the hysteria.”

“Powdered alcohol is a revolutionary new product that has so many positive uses,” Phillips told Colorado Community Media. “Banning it will do more harm than good. We know Prohibition doesn’t work.”

Phillips argues that aside from Palcohol’s convenient uses, in which water is used to mix the powder in a 4-inch by 6-inch packet, hotels in Hawaii have expressed interest in Palcohol to cut down on costs when shipping.

Some airlines have expressed interest in the product as well, said Phillips, who is also in favor of states taxing and regulating the product.

“Banning powdered alcohol will create a black market for it and the state will lose all control of how it will be distributed,” he said.

The bill has been assigned to the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

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