Bill To Ban Powdered Alcohol Makes Its Way To Governor's Desk
By Danette Chavez in News on May 15, 2015 7:15PM
Palcohol has no friends here in Illinois— the powdered alcohol product has faced opposition in Chicago and across the state since it gained approval from the federal government back in March. Local officials took immediate action, with Ald. Burke of the 14th Ward proposing a ban on palcohol at a City Council meeting. That sentiment made its way down state as part of Senate bill 67, a bill that bans both the sale of powdered alcohol to anyone and the sale of powdered caffeine to minors in the state.
The House has just approved the bill 113-0 and has sent the measure to Governor Bruce Rauner for his approval. State Senator Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago), who sponsored the bill, told the Tribune that "[powdered alcohol] has the potential for harming individuals, and we're being proactive and trying to stop it." There are already bans on the sale of powdered alcohol in Vermont, Louisiana and South Carolina. Massachusetts, presciently enough, defines alcohol as a liquid, so palcohol won't fly there either.
Opponents of the product are concerned that it will be abused by those of age as well as minors and even worse, could be used to spike drinks. We ran through the pros and cons when Ald. Burke's ban was first introduced and acknowledged the legitimate concerns, while reminding us all of how questionable our judgment can be, legal countermeasures notwithstanding.