JASON RANTZ

Powdered alcohol the latest thing lawmakers want to protect you from

Mar 30, 2015, 5:30 PM | Updated: Mar 31, 2015, 9:41 am

Legislators in Olympia are already considering a ban on powdered alcohol. (AP)

(AP)

Though it’s a product not yet available in the state of Washington, legislators in Olympia are already considering a ban on powdered alcohol.

Apparently powered alcohol is actually a relatively new product. Arizona-based Lipsmark was granted federal approval to go on sale in early March. The product itself is called Palcohol. It’s an 80 calorie pouch of alcohol. You just add water and bam, you’ve got vodka, or rum, or a cosmo, or a margarita. It’s got the alcohol content of your average in-a-bottle product.

Now what would you use this for? Well, it makes it easier to travel if you’re doing a picnic or at a beach, or if you’re on a plane and want to avoid the pricey mini-bottles of airplane booze. I imagine, depending on the price, it could be easier on storage space since a pouch of powder is less bulky than bottles of vodka or rum.

But, according to The Seattle Times, “Several Washington legislators […] say Palcohol is a dangerously sneaky mechanism for getting drunk and have proposed legislation to ban it before it arrives.”

How is it dangerously sneaky? How is being sneaky dangerous?

“This is not a crafted bourbon, or a scotch, or a tequila or something that’s special,” said Rep. Jeff Holy, R-Cheney, at a public hearing last week. “Powdered alcohol is simply for the purpose of intoxication, period. You’re not crafting the finer liquors.”

Guess what? Booze is to get intoxicated. Rolling Rock is to get drunk. No one likes the taste of Rolling Rock. It’s to get drunk. Will you ban that?

You think people take shots for a reason other than getting drunk? Is that a requirement before drinking – that you enjoy the experience and not look for a buzz? Part of the experience with drinking alcohol is to get drunk.

Since the House Committee on Commerce and Gaming is pretending its members don’t drink, it decided to unanimously endorse an amendment that bans powdered alcohol for all purposes except research.

“All in all, it’s an incredibly dangerous substance,” said Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, the bill’s original author.

She doesn’t say how this is any more dangerous than regular alcohol.

The Times reported, “Rep. Chris Hurst, D-Enumclaw, chairman of the House committee that endorsed the bill, said allowing powdered alcohol into store shelves could lead to people trying to ‘snort it like cocaine’ or spiking the drinks of unsuspecting people.”

That’s one of the sillier things I’ve heard. You know what’s an incredibly powerful powdered substance that is not just addictive, but leads to one of the leading causes of death in this country? Sugar.

Yet, we don’t ban sugar.

We don’t ban cigarettes either.

How is this anymore than the state government telling us we’re idiots who can’t take care of ourselves? They’re the smart ones who know best for us dumb citizens, they’ll take care of us, they’ll comfort us, they’ll protect us from all that’s wrong in the world because we can’t take care of ourselves.

This is nothing more than legislating by fear. They’re scared, they don’t get it. Powder is like cocaine, so they associate the two, and therefore it’s bad.

The vast majority of Washingtonians are smart enough to handle powdered alcohol, the same way they’re able to handle regular alcohol. This is nothing more than scared legislators who feed off of controlling our habits.

Jason Rantz on AM 770 KTTH
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