New York Bans Sale Of Powdered Alcohol, Joins 20 Other States

Even before the much-hyped powdered alcohol, or palcohol, is made “easily” available for the public purchase, 23 states in the United States has already banned the product, including New York. The state is set to put a ban on the sale of either powdered or crystalline alcohol.

According to Syracruse.com, Governor Andrew Cuomo is set to sign a legislation to put a ban on the sale of palcohol within New York. After the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved the sale of the product, palcohol has been making its way into the liquor stores across the country. However, Cuomo believes that “this dangerous product is a public health disaster waiting to happen.”

If mixed in inappropriate proportions or consumed in exceeding amount, palcohol can lead to severe intoxication, the Medical Daily reports. Cuomo said that the legislation, which aims at preventing the product from reaching the shelves for public purchase, will keep the product out of the wrong hands.

However, the inventor of the palcohol, Mark Phillips, argued that his product is rather safe than direct consumption of the liquid alcohol. Phillips has been trying hard to reverse the ban that the US states have started to put on the sale of the product since 2014.

"Palcohol is not some super concentrated version of alcohol. It's simply one shot of alcohol in powdered form," said Phillips, in a statement. "When I hike, kayak, backpack whatever. I like to have a drink when I reach my destination. Carrying liquid alcohol and mixers in bottles to make a margarita, for example, was totally impractical."

A majority of the U.S. states fears that if palcohol is made available easily, it may invite people, especially the teenagers, to binge drinking. In addition, the whole idea behind palcohol has raised underage drinking concerns.

Joseph Griffo, the senator who sponsored the bill to put a ban on the sale of palcohol says that the legislation will be an opportunity to eliminate yet another substance that the vulnerable generation of teenagers could be exposed to, who eventually end up deteriorating their lives because of drug addiction.

Palcohol is primarily being marketed by Lipsmark, an Arizona-based company. Although the company struggled to get an initial federal approval to sell the product, it is currently available in a number of varieties, including vodka and rum.