Legislators move to ban powdered alcohol brand

Politicians have begun proceedings to ban the sale of a new powdered alcohol product in the US, claiming it could pose “a whole new world of problems”.

Minnesota state representative Joe Atkins is hoping to ban the sale of Palcohol

Palcohol, a white powder that when mixed with 148ml of water creates an alcoholic beverage, has been greeted with a controversial reaction when announced it planned to launch earlier this month.

The US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) claimed that it had approved the new product “in error”, and creators were told to alter its labeling due to a discrepancy on fill level.

However, the brand’s website read: “This doesn’t mean that Palcohol isn’t approved. It just means that these labels aren’t approved. We will re-submit labels. We don’t have an expected approval date as label approval can vary widely.”

Since the news emerged, some health experts have warned that the product could be subject to misuse.

Following these warnings, Minnesota state representative Joe Atkins introduced a bill that would ban sales of powdered alcohol.

He said he is concerned people will underestimate the potency of the product and that it could end up in the hands of children.

“Virtually every possible use for powdered alcohol is nefarious, not to mention potentially dangerous,” said Atkins.

“The different flavourings make it appealing to children and students who could easily sneak packets into school. This powder could also be inhaled or snorted, bringing a whole new world of problems into play.

“With how quickly this is moving, we shouldn’t wait until next session to deal with this issue. We need to move quickly to protect public health.”

Meanwhile, politicians in Vermont are calling for more information on the product and are attempting to ban sales until they understand more.

Six flavours of Palcohol, including Vodka, Cosmopolitan, Mojito and Powderita, which is said to taste like a Margarita, were set to become available to purchase legally in the US this autumn.