For the third time in seven months, legislation to ban powdered alcohol has cleared the Ohio House. But this time, it appears ready to pass the Senate as well.
The proposed ban, passed by the House 92-3 on Wednesday, comes after a federal regulator approved sales of powdered alcohol, which turns into vodka, rum, or another spirit when mixed with water. An Arizona-based company has said it intends to start selling the product as soon as this summer.
The legislation, Senate Bill 7, would also ban the sale of pure caffeine products. The bill now heads back to the Ohio Senate, which earlier approved the pure caffeine ban but has stalled on passing two previous measures to ban powdered alcohol.
The powdered alcohol ban was added to the bill earlier this week in a House committee. A number of lawmakers have expressed worries that people might harm themselves by over-consuming powdered alcohol or snorting it.
Proponents of powdered alcohol say such fears are groundless and that powdered alcohol is no more dangerous than booze in its regular, liquid form.
The Ohio House previously voted to pass powdered alcohol bans last November and in February, but both measures went nowhere in the Ohio Senate.
However, the Senate voted late last month to pass the original version of SB 7, which would ban pure caffeine products in powder, liquid or crystalline form.
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