Illinois State Sen. Ira Silverstein of Chicago is the sponsor of a bill that would ban the sale of powdered alcohol, a product that has yet to reach store shelves. The Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises Newspapers reports the proposal amends Illinois’ Liquor Control Act of 1934.

The FDA approved the product ‘in error’ in April 2014 before almost immediately reversing the approval.
 
Silverstein says his legislation is a “public safety bill” and doesn’t want the powered alcohol products to reach stores. Powdered alcohol is defined in Silverstein’s bill as “any powder or crystalline substance containing alcohol produced for human consumption.”

The website for Palcohol says that their product has both a digestible beverage formula and the industrial formula which is non-digestible. The site also claims that Prohibition has been proven not to work. “So the responsible action by a legislature should be to regulate powdered alcohol to keep it out of the hands of underage drinkers by having it sold in licensed liquor stores where a person must present a valid ID,” the website said.
 
Illinois’ plan comes as alcoholic powder producer, Palcohol, wants to make its line of products available to the public this spring. The company says banning their product would create a black market, making their perceived dangerous product into a truly dangerous product since there will be no regulation in a black market.
 
Silverstein’s legislation follows the lead of nearly a dozen states including New Jersey and New York that already passed similar bans on powdered alcohol.  Will Arizona follow suit, or will its large retirement population campaign against it of legislation is introduced?