October Knowledge Community Spotlight #1 - Alcohol and Other Drugs

Inside Palcohol

On March 10^th, 2015, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) gave powdered alcohol – Palcohol – the seal of approval to begin mass-scale production.

As the name implies, Palcohol is simply alcohol … but in powdered form.  Creator Mark Phillips, along with a team of scientists, developed the product to increase the ease of transporting alcoholic beverage for recreational purposes – a powder being lighter and more compact than wine bottles, beer cans, etc.  Palcohol comes in a few varieties, which include: vodka, Puerto Rican rum, Comopolitans, Lemon Drop, and Powderita mixes – all but Lemon Drop have been approved by the TTB.  According to palcohol.com, one packet of vodka or rum contains approximately the same amount of alcohol content as a single shot, and one pack mixes to make about five glasses worth of drinks.

Vodka and Rum can be used in two ways; one way is to add six ounces of a user’s favorite mixer to make a Rum and Coke, Vodka and Orange Juice, etc., another option is to add six ounces of water before adding a flavored drink powder – creating a run-of-the-mill mixed drink.  Palcohol’s cocktail versions simply need water in order to create an instant cocktail.

Naturally, the idea of easy-to-conceal powdered alcohol has raised a few eyebrows.

Some argue Palcohol can be mixed into regular alcoholic drinks, thereby boosting their potency.  Others fear it could be abused by underage drinkers because of how easy it is to conceal – no one is looking for a powdered substance when they’re searching for bottles and cans, right?  Still others are concerned the substance could be snorted and will have an increased and more immediate effect on the user.  Lipsmark, the company that owns Palcohol, has addressed many of these concerns.  For example, Lipsmark says the potential to snort Palcohol is unlikely; not only does Palcohol have the burn of alcohol, but it would take an hour to snort a "shot" of vodka.

Some states, including South Carolina, Louisiana, and Vermont have already banned the substance, while others are working to pass legislation to do the same.

The jury is still out if Palcohol will gain wide-spread acceptance or wide-spread apprehension.  The fact remains, though, a brand new trend regarding alcohol consumption is unfolding before us and Student Affairs professionals should keep our eyes on this brand new trend.

For more information about the ALcohol and Other Drugs Knowledge Community, please contact Hanah Diebold - hdiebold@uwyo.edu 

Sources

Lupkin, S. (2015, March 12). Everything you want to know about palcohol, the powdered alcohol approved by feds. Retrieved September 25, 2015.

(n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2015, from http://www.palcohol.com/home.html

Wint, B. (2015, March 19). Powdered alcohol now legal in the US. Retrieved September 25, 2015.