Senator in last-minute bid to ban Palcohol

New York senator Charles Schumer has made a last-ditch attempt to outlaw powdered alcohol brand Palcohol ahead of the product’s impending US launch.

Senator Charles Schumer has made a last-ditch attempt to ban powdered alcohol brand Palcohol

Schumer, an ardent critic of Palcohol since the product was first unveiled to the public last year, has added an emergency amendment to legislation that would ban powdered alcohol, reports CBS New York.

The amendment would make it illegal to produce, possess or sell Palcohol. While specific details of the change are not yet known, it is thought lawmakers will vote on the legislation later this week.

“When alcohol is a powdered, it can be used so much more dangerously than if it was a liquid,” Schumer told CBS New York. “And worst of all is that a young person can put a whole bunch of shots in one glass of water with disastrous results.”

Palcohol comes in the form of a white powder which, when dissolves with 180ml of water, creates an alcoholic beverage.

The brand’s owner, Lipsmark, has launched a six-strong range, including: “V”, a powder made from vodkal; “R”, made from Puerto Rican rum; and Powderita, Cosmopolitan and Lemon Drop cocktail flavours.

The US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved the sale of Palcohol in March this year, following 10 months of working with Phillips to rectify issues with regards to its labeling and fill level.

In April 2014, the TTB approved the brand’s labels, however it was swiftly revealed that authorisation had been issued “in error” due to a discrepancy over fill level.

Mark Phillips, founder of Palcohol, has rigorously defended the product, claiming a recent spate of pre-emptive bans which have taken place across the US are “misinformed”.

Phillips argues that Palcohol is targeted towards outdoor enthusiasts and travellers due to its light format, adding that it is easier to misuse liquid alcohol.