Palcohol popped up on our radars last year, after the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau gave the product its thumbs up, only to backtrack and say thee approval was an error. Many doctors posited that the small package, which did not include serving size, would encourage an over consumption of the product.
Bureau spokesman Tom Hogue told the Associated Press Wednesday that all of the problems his team had with the product had been resolved and four versions of it were approved.
Hogue also noted that states can regulate sales of the product within their borders.
Dr. Kennon Heard, an ER doctor and medical toxicologist at the University of Colorado, told CBS News last year that there was a real concern over the product’s misuse.
"The other potential is that given the flavors it comes in, there's the potential for it to be very appealing to small children," he said. The makers of Palcohol say the powders will be available in varieties that mimic cocktails like cosmopolitans and margaritas.
And then there’s the obvious concern of people trying to snort the powder.
Despite federal approval, many states are already in the process of trying to ban it, including Texas and Colorado, who last month pushed legislation to halt its sale, CBS News reported.
Hogue explained the Bureau's evaluation of Palcohol was based on whether labels accurately reflect what's in the product.
"Potential for abuse isn't grounds for us to deny a label," he said.
Still, the product’s approval is a major step forward for the company.
"Nothing even close to this has been on the market in the recent past in the US, or ever," attorney Robert Lehrman told CBS This Morning when the product initially won, then lost, its approval last year.
"Underage drinking is a big concern when it comes to powderized alcohol," Lehrman continued. "I do think parents and teachers — this probably will get their attention in a big way."
A statement on Palcohol’s website says the company hopes to have the product on shelves by the summer.
Palcohol is simply freeze-dried alcohol packaged in a small, portable pouch that comes in different flavors.
