Powdered alcohol: taking it to the courts (part two)

This is a two-part series about powdered alcohol. This is part two, about legislation. Read part one here. 

Powdered alcohol — which manufacturers hope to have on the market this fall, and which legislators are trying to ban — is a new alcohol delivery system with lots of potential problems common to alcohol — and some new issues, as well.

The path to get powdered alcohol on the shelves is in process, though legislators are stepping in to try to ban the substance.

Palcohol’s label was inadvertently approved by the FDA. As Time reports:

The federal government admitted that its recent approval of Palcohol—a powdered alcohol which turns water into vodka and rum—was actually done in “error.”

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau granted Palcohol “label approval” on April 8 only to withdraw it 13 days later. “TTB did approve labels for Palcohol,” it said in a statement. “Those label approvals were issued in error and have since been surrendered.”

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer of New York has been a champion of the movement to keep Palcohol from getting approved by the FDA, calling Palcohol “the Kool-Aid of teen binge drinking,” The Wall Street Journal reports.

Senator Larry A. Martin of the South Carolina Legislature encouraged passage of a Palcohol ban in South Carolina until the state can prepare regulations about how powdered alcohol should be distributed. The ban was approved in June 2014.

Lawmakers in other states — Vermont and Minnesota — are considering passing state-wide bans.

It’s a long battle ahead to get Palcohol onto shelves and into the hands of youth. Hopefully, state legislators will continue the fight.

You can help win this battle! Tell the FDA, TTB and FTC to ban powdered alcohol!

Related links:

• Two States to Consider Banning Powdered Alcohol – DrugFree.org
• Lawmakers look to ban Palcohol – WPTZ.com (Vermont)
• S.C. Passes Bill to Ban ‘Palcohol’ (6/4/14) – CSPnet.com
• Lawmakers begin moves to ban powdered alcohol – Washington Post
• Sen. Schumer Calls on the FDA to Immediately Investigate and Prohibit Sale [of Palcohol] – Sen. Schumer press release
• Schumer asks FDA to block powdered alcohol – Wall Street Journal
• FDA Should Block Approval of Powdered Alcohol: NY Senator – DrugFree.org
• Feds: Powdered Alcohol Approved in ‘Error’ (4/22/14) – Time
• Tell the FDA, TTB, & FTC to Ban Powdered Alcohol! – AlcoholJustice.org