State Sen. Joseph Griffo (R-Rome) is pushing a ban on the sale of powdered alcohol – known as “palcohol” – in the state of New York.

Griffo, whose 47th District includes a swath running through the middle of St. Lawrence County, from Massena to Fine, including Potsdam, recently reintroduced legislation (S1757) that would prohibit anyone from selling, offering for sale or providing for consumption any powdered or crystalline alcoholic product.

But now that the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has approved Palcohol for commercial sale, Griffo said this potentially dangerous product should be outlawed statewide before it can get into the wrong hands.

“With drug and alcohol abuse already wreaking havoc on the lives of some of our young people, we don’t need to make it any easier for them to fall victim to further harm,” Griffo said. “Powdered alcohol can easily be hidden in a pocket, or sneaked into schools, events or other public places where alcohol isn’t allowed.”

Powdered alcohol would come in a pouch that could be turned into an alcoholic beverage by simply adding water. But it could still pose possible dangerous health risks by snorting the product like other forms of drugs, or sprinkling it into someone’s food or drink without the other person knowing, Griffo said.

The appeal this product might have for minors is particularly troubling to experts who dedicate themselves to the prevention and treatment of substance abuse – especially since powdered alcohol is so unfamiliar to youths and can easily be disguised by mixing it into otherwise harmless beverages, sodas or juices, according to a press release on the issue from Griffo’s office.

Last year, the Senate passed Griffo’s sponsored ban on the sale of powdered alcohol, but the bill did not make it through the Assembly. With the potential that Palcohol could soon be sold to consumers later this year, Griffo is urging his colleagues in the Assembly to ban the product.

“Alcohol in powder form is unnecessary in the big picture,” Griffo added. “While the easy-to-carry product might be convenient for those who want to use it responsibly, such as someone who is hiking, the broader opportunities for its abuse should give us all reason to be concerned.”