DENVER (AP) — Powdered alcohol hasn't even arrived in stores yet, but states already are moving to ban the product touted by its inventor as an easy way to mix a drink on the go. 
 
 In this Dec. 15, 2014 photo, made available by Colorado House Republicans, Colorado Republican Rep. JoAnn Windholz is pictured in Larkspur, Colo. In the session that begins in Jan. 2015, Rep. Windholz... (Associated Press) 
 
 Colorado is the latest state considering prohibiting "Palcohol" amid concern it will increase underage drinking. The product is marketed as an ounce of rum or vodka in powdered form, which is then added to water. 
 
 Each serving is the equivalent of a shot of liquor, according to Lipsmark, the company that owns Palcohol. 
 
 "I think being proactive and jumping out in front of the problem is probably the right thing to do," said Chris Johnson, executive director of the County Sheriffs of Colorado. "It really doesn't have any place in our society, powered alcohol. We have enough problems with the liquid kind." 
 
 Johnson said he fears powdered alcohol will make it easier for children to "sprinkle it on top of their Wheaties for breakfast" and increase the potential for alcohol poisoning. 
 
 "It can be a very dangerous thing," he said. 
 
 The company's website notes various instances where they argue the product would be convenient, including on flights and as an antiseptic on remote locations. Palcohol's creator, Mark Phillips, said he thought of the idea because it would be easier to carry powder for a drink during a long hike or other outdoor activities. 
 
 Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, South Carolina and Vermont already have banned powdered alcohol, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Minnesota, Ohio, and New York also are considering bans, the organization said. 
 
 In a video posted on the company's website, Phillips dismisses the concerns about underage drinking, noting the product would be sold only at liquor stores to people 21 and older. In the video, he also argues it would be impractical for people to snort the powder, as some critics fear, because it would be painful to do and the amount of powder in a package fills about half a glass tumbler. 
 
 The company doesn't expect Palcohol will be available in stores until spring 2015 at the earliest. They're still waiting for labeling approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The Food and Drug Administration said it does not have a legal basis to block the product after examining the non-alcoholic ingredients in the powder. 
 
 Lynne Barbour, director of communications for Palcohol, said states should control the product instead of banning it. 
 
 "We believe it should be regulated and taxed," she said in an email. 
 
 In addition to making Palcohol available as powdered rum and vodka, the company plans four cocktail varieties — Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Lemon Drop, and Powderita. 
 
 Republican Rep. JoAnn Windholz is sponsoring a bill to ban powdered alcohol in Colorado during the legislative session that begins next month. She said it's prudent for states to ban the product until they know how it can affect people if it happens to be stronger than liquid alcohol — another concern Phillips contends is unfounded. 
 
 Windholz said states should make sure they have a regulatory system in place before allowing powdered alcohol to be sold. 
 
 "It can be taken into schools, it can be taken into sports (events), Broncos games, whatever," she said. 
 
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 Find Ivan Moreno on Twitter: http://twitter.com/IvanJourno ||||| Palcohol: Risky for Teens and People in Recovery? 
 
 
 
 WebMD Health News By Kathleen Doheny WebMD Health News 
 
 March 13, 2015 -- The powdered alcohol product known as Palcohol may be available on store shelves this summer. Some health officials are concerned it will only worsen underage drinking. 
 
 Federal regulators with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved the new product this week. Five states have banned sales of powdered alcohol, and 28 states have proposed laws this year to ban or regulate it. 
 
 In the U.S., about 5,000 people under age 21 die each year due to alcohol-related accidents, homicides, suicides, and injuries, according to the National Institutes of Health. 
 
 Mark Phillips, the creator of Palcohol, doesn't see what the fuss over his product is about. He calls efforts to outlaw it the work of those who want a ''nanny state." 
 
 What Is Palcohol? 
 
 It's a powdered, freeze-dried version of common drinks. It includes rum, vodka, a Cosmopolitan, and a “powderita,” Phillips' version of a margarita. 
 
 Each pouch-like package weighs about an ounce. Along with the powdered alcohol, it also includes natural flavorings and the sweetener sucralose. You add water or a mixer to the package and shake it to create an average-sized mixed drink. By itself, the powder has about 80 calories a package. One packet equals one shot of alcohol, according to Palcohol’s web site. 
 
 The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, a division of the U.S. Treasury Department, worked with the FDA to approve the product, says Tom Hogue, a spokesman for the bureau. The bureau reviews the formulation and labeling of distilled spirits products. The FDA reviews the non-alcoholic ingredients. 
 
 The FDA doesn't have concerns about those ingredients at this time, says Theresa Eisenman, a spokeswoman for the agency. 
 
 Hogue says that states ''have very broad authority to regulate the sale of alcohol within their borders.” 
 
 Concerns 
 
 Powdered alcohol will trigger abuse by young people, says Scott Krakower, DO, assistant unit chief of psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, N.Y. "I think it's going to appeal to adolescents and will potentially be harmful," he says. 
 
 The easy-to-carry product may also tempt people in recovery from alcoholism, he says, since the package seems simple to conceal. He fears some people will try to snort it, which he views as especially dangerous due to choking hazards. Some may combine powdered alcohol with other drugs, such as heroin, he says. ||||| States are moving to ban alcohol in powdered form before the product goes on sale out of concern it will increase underage drinking. 
 
 Newly elected Colorado Republican Rep. JoAnn Windholz is introducing a bill to ban "Palcohol" in the session that begins next month. 
 
 The product is touted by its inventor as a convenient way to mix a drink. In a video, Palcohol's creator Mark Phillips defends the powder and says it will only be sold in liquor stores. 
 
 The company has previously been more cavalier in its advertisements. SB Nation says Palcohol's website originally stated the following: 
 
 Yes, you can snort it. And you'll get drunk almost instantly because the alcohol will be absorbed so quickly in your nose. Good idea? No. It will mess you up. Use Palcohol responsibly. 
 
 The company's website has since been adjusted: 
 
 It's painful to snort due to the alcohol. Second, it's impractical. It takes approximately 60 minutes to snort the equivalent of one shot of vodka. Why would anyone do that when they can do a shot of liquid vodka in two seconds? 
 
 Lawmakers nationwide are worried that the powdered form will only make it easier for children to access alcohol. 
 
 The National Conference of State Legislatures says Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, South Carolina and Vermont have already banned powdered alcohol. And Minnesota, Ohio, and New York are also considering outlawing it. 
 
 Lipsmark, the company that owns Palcohol, notes that federal regulators have determined the product to be safe. However, the company is waiting for labeling approval.
– Powdered alcohol should be available this summer, unless your particular state forbids it. The federal government today approved the sale of "Palcohol," a powdered version of alcohol that transforms into a boozy drink with the addition of water or a mixer, reports the AP. (Earlier federal approval was actually granted in error, but this one is the real deal.) Several states already have moved to ban the stuff, fearful that it would make it too easy for minors to sneak drinks pretty much wherever they wanted. Each packet of Palcohol weighs about an ounce and packs the equivalent of a shot of alcohol, according to the company's website. Different versions, including vodka and rum, will be available. Founder Mark Phillips says he hopes to have it on the market this summer, and he says states banning it are doing so because of "misinformation and ignorant speculation" spread by liquor companies, reports the Spirits Business website. “It is hypocritical to ban powdered alcohol and not liquid alcohol."