Majority of adults favor ban on powdered alcohol, concerned it would increase underage drinking

Adults across the country share the same top concern about the new alcohol-on-the-go product: potential misuse among underage youth.

Packaged in travel-friendly pouches, powdered alcohol will be available in flavors of distilled spirits like vodka and rum and also mixed drinks. One packet of powdered alcohol mixed with six ounces of liquid creates an instant cocktail.

Sixty percent of U.S. adults in the nationally-representative Mott poll favor a complete ban of powdered alcohol in their states, while another 84 percent support prohibiting online sales of the product. In addition, 85 percent of adults agree that marketing for powdered alcohol should be restricted from social networking sites that make it easy to reach younger crowds.

"The product's makers tout powdered alcohol as improving convenience for people who enjoy the outdoors and others who want to travel light with alcoholic beverages," says Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the National Poll on Children's Health and professor of pediatrics and internal medicine in the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit at the U-M Medical School.

"Given that several states are considering legislation about powdered alcohol, our poll looked at what the public thinks about this new product. The majority of adults agree that powdered alcohol may spell trouble for young people."

About a third of adults had heard about powdered alcohol when the poll was conducted in May 2015 and all participants received pro and con information regarding the product before they answered questions about it. Adults shared particular concerns over the product:

• 90 percent of adults are concerned that powdered alcohol will be misused by people under 21

• 85 percent are concerned that powdered alcohol will increase use of alcohol for people under 21

• 81 percent are concerned that it will be easy for people under 21 to buy powdered alcohol.

The product is set to launch this summer but some states, including Louisiana, South Carolina and Vermont, have already banned it. In Michigan, State Senator Rick Jones has introduced legislation that would prohibit sale and use of powdered alcohol in the state. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and a corresponding bill in the Michigan House is being considered by the Committee on Regulatory Reform.

The high levels of public concern about misuse of powdered alcohol by youth echo previous findings that adults view alcohol abuse as one of the 10 biggest child health problems in the U.S. today.

"In the U.S., parents, communities, and healthcare providers already face serious challenges with underage alcohol abuse and its harmful effects on children's health. This poll indicates common concern among our communities over potential abuse and misuse of powdered alcohol as well as the product's potential to exacerbate the problem of underage drinking," says Davis, who is also with the U-M Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and School of Public Health and deputy director for U-M's Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.

"Concerns of the public are important to understand as lawmakers across the country consider legislation to restrict or ban the use of powdered alcohol in their states."

Full report: mottnpch.org/reports-surveys/too-convenient-majority-adults-support-bans-powdered-alcohol