The official entry of "Palcohol" into supermarket shelves is meeting very stiff resistance from lawmakers. To date, there are 21 states that oppose powdered alcohol. Some states have existing laws against this form of the legal substance and others are racing against the clock to make sure that it will get outlawed.
Palcohol contains no new substances, legal or otherwise, to make it raise any eyebrows from a purely legal perspective. This was the reasoning behind its approval from the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). To this extent, the Food and Drug Administration has (no say*latinos health) in its approval as the TTB has "authority to review formulation and labeling of distilled spirits products."
Gov. Cuomo (D) of New York is the latest legislator to refute this decision of the TTB to go ahead with the sale of Palcohol. According to him, "This dangerous product is a public health disaster waiting to happen." He adds, "I am proud to sign this legislation that will keep powdered alcohol off the shelves and out of the wrong hands."
The contention is that powdered alcohol will aggravate the already dire alcohol problem in the US. As much as 29% of all Americans meet criteria that make them positive for alcohol use disorder. This "Kool Aid for underage drinking," as Sen. Charles E. Shumer (D) New York has called powdered alcohol, makes binge drinking that much more possible to certain demographics.
There are also groups which claim that the drinking problem is not addressed with the banning of powdered alcohol. In fact, its legality in every state makes the move against powdered alcohol a questionable one.
Additionally, the early detection of alcohol abuse should be the main focus as alcohol, liquid or powdered, is not going away any time soon. It has been proven time and time again that outlawing a substance is not the way to deal with situations like this, like the alcohol prohibition in the early 20th Century and the recent raise in status of medicinal marijuana.
