Abstract

While there seems to be growing media intrigue over atypical forms of alcohol use, the utilization of the majority of novel consumption methods (e.g., eyeballing, slimming, alcohol without liquid (AWOL)) seems minimal. In 2014, however, several outlets suggested that powdered alcohol would soon surface as a threat to public safety. The impetus of these fears was the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s approval for Lipsmark LLC to package a powdered alcohol product named "Palcohol". Palcohol has yet to reach store shelves, but public outcry has been intense. Despite this reaction, little is known about whether the population will consider Palcohol a suitable alternative to traditional alcohol, particularly given its excessive predicted cost. In an exploratory effort to assess perceptions, use intentions, and fears related to Palcohol, 31 young adults were asked to view a 16-minute video about Palcohol and answer a series of questions about Palcohol, including whether and how they intend to use it. Results suggest that young adults intend to experiment with Palcohol following its release, but they have a number of concerns. While few expect to become habitual users of the product, many believe it will enable people to utilize alcohol in settings where its consumption is prohibited.

Department(s)

Criminology and Criminal Justice

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages1040329

Rights Information

© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Keywords

Alcohol, Intentions to use, Palcohol, Perceptions, Planned behavior, Powdered alcohol

Publication Date

12-1-2015

Journal Title

Beverages

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