What parents need to know about Palcohol
In Christianity, one of the many miracles Jesus performed was turning water into wine. Now, a new product offers people the chance to perform a similar feat.
Palcohol, or powdered alcohol, comes in a 4-by-6 inch packet and could be available in U.S. liquor stores this summer. The powder created by Lipsmark can be poured and mixed into 6 ounces of liquid to create an alcoholic beverage. It will come in four varieties – vodka, rum, “Powderita” (margarita flavor), and lemon drop.
“Palcohol is a boon to outdoors enthusiasts such as campers, hikers and others who wanted to enjoy adult beverages responsibly without having the undue burden of carrying heavy bottles of liquid,” Mark Phillips, founder of Palcohol, says on his website. “Similarly, adult travelers journeying to destinations far from home could conveniently and lawfully carry their favorite cocktail in powder format.”
The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau recently approved Palcohol. Last spring, the bureau approved the product, but quickly rescinded their approval, claiming it was in “error.”
After news of the approval, many have expressed outrage and concern over the potential dangers of the product.
Lawmakers in some states have banned the product, including Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, South Carolina and Vermont. Minnesota, Ohio, New York and Colorado are also considering banning the powder.
Parents are worried Palcohol will put their children at risk.
“We’re already so conflicted and confused about how to discourage teen drinking,” says Hélène Tragos Stelian, a blogger from The Huffington Post. “Now Palcohol has found a way to make it even harder for us to navigate this no-win situation. Seriously, Palcohol, are you just trying to torture parents of teens?”
Some fear that the product might become a new fad for teens trying to smuggle the small package into concerts, sporting arenas, school dances and friends’ houses. Parents are also concerned that the powder might be mixed into alcoholic drinks, increasing the alcohol consumption to dangerous levels without kids even realizing. Teens snorting the powder has also been a big concern.
Dr. Adam Rubinstein, internal medicine physician at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill., was saddened to hear that regulators have chosen to ignore health risks in favor of profits.
“This approval enables alcohol to nuzzle up in children’s minds to the coziness they feel with hot chocolate or Kool-Aid,” says Dr. Rubinstein. “It puts children at higher risk for complications from alcohol ingestion.”
What do you think of Palcohol? Should the new alcoholic product be banned?
Photo credit: Palcohol
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health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
The name says it all–teens will think “Pal” for friend rather than powdered alcohol!
Couldn’t agree more, Jacqueline! Thanks for sharing.
I think there is clearly some danger with this. Think about 4 Locos and how people were dying from drinking too many of those. With powdered drinks, who stops someone from putting five or six packets in one drink?
Great point Jacqueline. However, it’s a “Pal” that is harmful to them. Not to mention it will be much easier for them to smuggle it out of a store vs. a glass bottle. I think we are setting our kids up to fail and should ban this product. I think they have enough temptations to deal with. Don’t you?
It could help cut down the cost of beer at baseball games this summer…
But seriously, it underscores the importance of parents having a good relationship with their teens and instilling the right values. Currently, drugs and alcohol are already accessible, this just underscores the importance of good decision making.
Not sure what saddens and/or irritates me more. . . the mindless sheep who chose to either believe everything they read/hear or their inclination to always look to “ban” something or Advocate once again making assertions and misleading their readers/patients into believing something may be worse than it really is. The fact that states are banning a product in advance of federal regulatory approval should have people riled up; but I know this audience and their appetite for government control has time and again proven to be high.
Now, back to Advocate. . I read this article four times and trying to see why they would allow a quote from Dr. Rubinstein regarding “health risks” where nowhere in the article are such risks even mentioned much less discussed. Is this product any more harmful than pourable alcohol? The main concern appears to be more its name by having the word “Pal” in it. Stellar reporting once again.
Can’t believe this was passed! I’m interested to see how this will affect everything when it is released for the masses this summer!
Is anyone else super interested to figure out how they got alcohol to be in powdered form??? Apperently there is a sugar substrate used to absorbe and encapsulate the fluid! Which I find crazy cool chemistry wise…anyone else with me on that lol?