“Palcohol” — the powdered alcohol — has just been approved for sale in the United States. The product first made headlines last Spring when it was briefly greenlit before being pulled due to labeling issues. According to the Associated Press, some states are already having major concerns over these new granulated spirits.
Several states have already moved to ban powdered alcohol, including lawmakers in Colorado who last month advanced legislation to temporarily halt its sale. Concerns have included abuse by minors and whether Palcohol’s light weight would make it easy to sneak alcohol into public events.
Dr. Kennon Heard, an ER doctor and medical toxicologist at the University of Colorado, told CBS News last year that he had a number of concerns about the product. “Given the flavors it comes in, there’s the potential for it to be very appealing to small children,” he said.
These are all valid concerns. And Palcohol creator Mark Phillips addresses them all on the official website.
Of course, people will try to snort the stuff. But pay heed, Palcohol warns against it:
It’s painful to snort due to the alcohol. Second, it’s impractical. It takes approximately 60 minutes to snort the equivalent of one shot of vodka. Why would anyone do that when they can do a shot of liquid vodka in two seconds?
Good question. I bet the researcher who snorted powdered vodka for a full hour has some really interesting stories to tell.
(Source: CBS News)