Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Officials Don't Expect Difficulty Enforcing Powdered Alcohol Ban

Caro Wallis
/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/carowallis1/

Indiana is struggling to keep so-called "synthetic drugs" off store shelves, but legislators don‘t expect any similar challenges with another banned substance soon to hit the market.

An Arizona company plans to begin selling powdered alcohol, or palcohol, this summer.

Indiana joined 11 other states this year in banning it.

Three more have imposed temporary bans.

Indianapolis Senator Jim Merritt authored both that law and Indiana‘s ban on drugs such as bath salts and synthetic marijuana, or Spice.

He says while bath salts are a gray-market drug with shadowy manufacturers, powdered alcohol is the brainchild of a legitimate company hoping to market to hikers and campers.

"It would be easy to get in the hands of folks under 21, and  there's no overall need for it," says Merritt. "I've not heard from one constituent asking me why we're outlawing it."

While most laws passed in this year‘s session will take effect when the fiscal year starts on Wednesday, the powdered alcohol ban became law the instant Governor Pence signed it.

Related Content