Latest health poll conducted by the University of Michigan (UM) has found that majority of adults in the United States are in favor of banning the sale and use of powdered alcohol in the country out of concern for the possible misuse of the easy-to-make cocktail by underage youths.
In March, the manufacturers of the powdered alcoholic drink announced that the beverage mix was made legal in the U.S., but several state governments have expressed interest in banning its use within their borders.
According to a report by UM's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health (NPCH), around 60 percent of adult Americans prefer a complete ban on the use of the powdered alcohol in their states, while 84 percent of them support a prohibition on the sale of the product online.
Matthew Davis, a pediatrics and internal medicine professor at UM and director of the NPCH, said the makers of the powdered alcohol promotes the new product as a convenience for consumers who want to bring alcoholic drinks with them on trips.
He said that given the sentiments of states regarding the banning of the product, the poll was designed to find out what the public thinks about the powdered alcohol. Many adults believe that the product could potentially cause problems for young people.
When the poll was conducted in May, only one-third of the adults involved in the survey were aware of the powdered alcohol. Around 90 percent of the participants believe that the beverage mix will likely be misused by people under 21 years old.
The powdered alcohol is scheduled to be launched this summer, but several states, such as Vermont, Louisiana and South Carolina, have already banned the new product.
"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," Davis added.
A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported that underage drinking is still a primary concern for adults in America.
While the rates have dropped between the years 2002 and 2013, the number of underage youths (12 to 20 years old) engaged in drinking remains high at 22.7 percent, while those who binge drink is shown to be at 14.2 percent.
The SAMHSA study also showed that alcohol (22.7 percent) is the leading substance used by underage youths followed by tobacco (16.9 percent) and illegal drugs (13.6 percent).
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