Palcohol’s easy accessibility raises safety concerns for youth
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 88,000 people die from alcohol related causes annually, making it the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. It is a problem that affects both adults and teens as seen in 2012 when it was found that an estimated 855,000 adolescents, aged 12 through 17 years old, had an alcohol use disorder.
Alcohol abuse directly causes detrimental health problems such as liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and encephalopathy. Even the withdrawal from alcohol can cause serious issues like delirium tremens, refeeding syndrome and death. Alcohol is one of the most addictive drugs on the market and because it is legal, it is also highly accessible in both liquid, and now, powdered forms. Despite much controversy, in March 2015, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved Palcohol, a powdered form of alcohol that can be mixed with six ounces of water, making alcohol even more accessible.
Lethal combinations
Many people mix alcohol with other medications such as benzodiazepines and opioids, forming a lethal combination.
Moonshining is a popular hobby in the southern U.S. that allows people to make the most potent form of alcohol in their own backyard, using methanol and ethylene glycol, two extremely poisonous substances. Methanol and ethylene glycol are frequently found in high concentration in automotive antifreeze and de-icing solutions, windshield wiper fluid, solvents, cleaners, fuels, and other industrial products. Yet this doesn’t stop people from drinking antifreeze to get the effects of alcohol.
In a world where drunk driving, windshield fluid ingestion and distilling illegal alcohol in the woods, Palcohol has the potential to sell off the shelves.
Easy to mix with other substances
Although data regarding powdered alcohol has not been released because it is a brand new substance, many people believe that it will lead to an increase in teenage alcohol abuse, accidental child poisoning, alcohol related accidents and as with all powders, snorting and injecting alcohol.
Most addicts will go to great lengths to get the fastest “fix,” whether it is crushing Xanax to snort or injecting crushed Suboxone intravenously. Palcohol has potential to be mixed with other substances, misused and abused. Adding Palcohol to an alcoholic drink is also a very legitimate concern as this can cause increased potential for alcohol poisoning. Sprinkling Palcohol on food is one way to add a twist to dinner or kick start your day; afterall, the Palcohol website suggested “vodka on eggs.”
Easy to conceal and transport
Concealing alcohol might be easier with Palcohol as the primary reason it was invented was to create an easy, lightweight way to carry alcohol. “Take your pal wherever you go” is the slogan for Palcohol, which brings up all kinds of questions regarding drinking and driving, carrying Palcohol on airplanes, open packets in public and other concerns.
A danger to toddlers
The packaging has been compared to a Capri Sun pouch, making it visually appealing to curious toddlers, who often get into all sorts of medications and poisons leading to accidental ingestion: a common reason for a large number of pediatric hospital admissions annually. The potential for a small child to accidentally ingest powdered alcohol has become the reality.
More unanswered questions than answers exist about this powdered version of alcohol. Several states have already banned Palcohol, fearing that the consequences and legal issues could be too risky and lethal to handle.
Whether alcohol addiction is fed through liquid or powdered means, treatment is a vital source to ensure a real recovery and life-long sobriety. Sovereign Health Group provides the highest quality care in addiction, dual diagnosis and mental health treatment programs. For further information, please call.