Dive Brief:
- Powdered alcohol, known as Palcohol, has been a controversial topic since it was approved by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau earlier this year. Since, 25 states in the U.S. have banned the sale of powdered alcohol, also referred to as "powdered alcohol prohibition."
- So far in 2015, 89 bills concerning powdered alcohol have been introduced in the legislatures of 40 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
- Some legislators, such as Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) have proposed instituting a national ban on the substance, which he dubbed "Kool-Aid for underage drinking," though powdered alcohol is subject to the same liquor laws as wine, beer, and liquid alcohol.
Dive Insight:
The fact there has been some pushback to powdered alcohol may not be all that surprising, but the severity of that pushback is daunting. It's natural to assume that public health experts and organizations, particularly anti-drug and anti-alcohol groups, would speak out against such a product, and they have.
But what could also be going on behind the scenes is up for speculation: growing support for the anti-powdered alcohol movement from alcohol companies, particularly major brewers and distillers.
"The current powdered alcohol prohibition covers Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington state. Maryland and Minnesota both enacted a one-year moratorium, and Colorado, Delaware, Michigan and New Mexico have added powdered alcohol into their definitions for alcohol under existing statues," according to Food Safety News.