Poor, poor Palcohol: The beleaguered powdered alcohol brand just keeps getting knocked down. According to the Associated Press, Colorado is the latest state to consider banning the substance before it is even close to hitting shelves. Lawmakers are worried that the product will "increase underage drinking."
Chris Johnson, the executive director of the Country Sheriffs of Colorado tells the paper, "It really doesn't have any place in our society, powdered alcohol. We have enough problems with the liquid kind." Johnson adds that he is worried that Palcohol will become the new breakfast of champs, noting that teens may go so far as to "sprinkle it on top of their Wheaties for breakfast." A state representative is hoping a bill to ban powdered alcohol in Colorado will pass next month.
The company's website markets the product as a convenient way to drink in places like on airplanes and while camping. Each serving of Palcohol is equivalent to a shot when combined with water. Palcohol has tried to fight concerns that it will increase underage drinking. The company's founder Mark Phillips took to YouTube "to set the record straight." In the video he notes that the product will only be sold at liquor stores to people 21 and older. Plus, in response to critics who fear teens will snort the product, he explains that it would be too painful for them to do so.
These efforts haven't stopped a number of states from banning the product. Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Vermont have all already banned powdered alcohol. In addition to Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio, and New York are also considering bans. This is worrisome for the company, considering that its product won't even hit shelves until Spring 2015 at the earliest. Teenagers may have to stick to getting drunk the old-fashioned way.