Dive Brief:
- The Ohio House has passed a bill banning sales of pure caffeine products and powdered alcohol.
- According to the Associated Press, "The legislation would make it a misdemeanor offense to sell products consisting solely or primarily of caffeine that's manufactured into a crystalline, liquid or powdered form."
- A lethal dose of a pure caffeine product can be just one teaspoon, which is the same amount of caffeine in about 25 cups of coffee, according to the FDA.
Dive Insight:
One issue for pure caffeine opponents is that the substance is generally marketed as a dietary supplement, which means that it is not regulated in the same way that the level of caffeine in soda is. Instead of being able to mandate the removal of this product, the FDA is allowed to attempt to stop sellers from marketing the substance in bulk.
The Ohio Senate passed a similar bill but must now agree to the House's changes for the bill to move to finalization into law. These changes include the prohibition of powdered or crystalline alcohol.