Palcohol, or powdered alcohol, the world's newest way to get buzzed/drunk could be coming to a store near you. This week, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved the powdered booze product, and its makers hopes to unleash it on an unsuspecting public this fall.
Some health experts say they are concerned that powered alcohol could be abused by minors, or could be more easily more easily hidden and consumed in places where people are not allowed to have alcohol. But others argue that there is no reason the drug would be more hazardous than liquid alcohol.
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Palcohol's website, once advertised the powder as the solution to many of the modern drinker's most pressing problems.
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So far, the company has approval to sell four flavors: vodka, rum, cosmopolitan and Powderita (a margarita flavor), according to the Associated Press. When a packet of Palcohol is mixed with 6 ounces (177 milliliters) of water, the resulting drink has the same alcohol content as a standard mixed drink, the company says.
Even though it's now legal, Lawmakers are expressing concern that Palcohol could be more easily transported than liquid alcohol, and thus sneaked into places where alcohol is not allowed. "There are very serious concerns about the illegal use of powdered alcohol by young people, possibly even bringing it into schools or other events and locations that prohibit alcohol consumption," New York State Senator Joseph Griffo, said in a statement last year. There are also concerns about the health risks of people snorting the powered alcohol, Griffo said.
There's growing health and safety concerns with this new type of product. What if it gets in...the hands of a young child or teenager. It's easier to conceal. But experts say if a young child got a hold of a packet of powered alcohol, he or she might consume as much as a shot of alcohol, Spiller said. However, the child would likely not consume more than that, because the experience would not be pleasant.
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The powder would create a burning sensation, and would form a gel-like substance when it came in contact with the moisture of the mouth.
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