Powdered Alcohol Coming: Palcohol Is Finally On Its Way, Reaches Federal Approval

Is powdered alcohol coming for real this time? It sounds like a sure bet, as the powdered substance meant to be mixed into drinks has reached federal approval, the Huffington Post reports.

Palcohol has passed regulations from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The organization changed its decision for a brief time last year, indicating that label approvals weren’t correct. Bureau spokesman, Tom Hogue, said Wednesday that everything had been resolved and Palcohol is now approved. The powdered mix comes in four varieties, according to the report. They are cosmopolitan, margarita, vodka, and rum. Lemon Drop is on the way.

Hogue adds that even though powdered alcohol is coming, states can regulate sales of it within their borders. Not all states are willing to sell Palcohol. As the report reveals, several states have already put plans into motion over banning the product. Colorado lawmakers escalated legislation to “temporarily halt its sale” last month, but it turns out that since it has federal approval, it’ll be treated as a liquid alcohol.

Palcohol is a controversial product because there are fears minors could abuse it by sneaking the lightweight powder into drinks or snort it. It’s easy to create an alcoholic drink with the powder because it just needs to be mixed with water to create a normal spiked drink.

ABC News interviewed their chief health and medical editor, Dr. Richard Besser, who is also a pediatrician. Besser isn’t keen on the powdered alcohol hitting the market.

“As a parent, it’s one thing to patrol for cases of beer or bottles of booze. But having to look for little packets, I worry that it could lead to more underage drinking, making it easier.”

When is the powdered alcohol coming out? Palcohol’s website shares that it hopes to be on the market this summer. Palcohol founder Mark Phillips says pricing hasn’t yet been determined. The site also says there’s no comment on the production or distribution at this time.

Hogue further explains that the TTB often “reaches out” to the Food and Drug Administration so it can determine if the product could be viewed as “adulterated.” He said if the FDA determines it’s not, the TTB’s analysis revolves around whether the label appropriately defines what’s in the product.

The approval of Palcohol was reported about at length last year, the Inquisitr previously explained. News that the powdered alcohol coming out is official this time.

[Photo Credit: Getty Images via News.Mic]