Resumen de US State Statutes Banning Powdered Alcohol: Exceptions and Penalties.
To examine state statutes banning powdered alcohol, we identified relevant statutes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia through a search (initial search March 2016;follow-up search November 2016) using the legal research database LexisNexis. To identify the laws, we used the following search terms: "concentrated alcohol," "crystalline alcohol," "granulated alcohol," "palcohol," and "powdered alcohol." As of November 2016, 31 states had statutory bans on powdered alcohol. Statutes in 22 states outline penalties for violating the state's ban on powdered alcohol. Five states include suspension and revocation of alcohol beverage licenses and permits among the penalties. Thirteen states provide exceptions to their ban on powdered alcohol for bona fide scientific research. Twelve states have exceptions for powdered alcohol designed for commercial use or not intended for human consumption. With concerns expressed that powdered alcohol may lead to greater alcohol consumption, particularly among minors, the majority of state legislatures have demonstrated their willingness to restrict access to novel alcohol products to protect the public's health. However, the effectiveness of these laws should be evaluated if the product does become available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
