Alcohol, caffeine dangers

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Powdered gelatin was invented in 1845, powdered fruit drink in 1928. Given the success of Jell-O and Kool-Aid, it’s strange that it took this long for powdered alcohol to show up.

But “Palcohol” is soon to be on the market, joining another ill-advised product, powdered caffeine. Both are highly concentrated forms of legal substances that carry substantial health risks. Lawmakers should move to ban both.

The inventor of Jell-O, when applying for a patent, called his substance “portable gelatin.” Similarly, the man behind Palcohol touts its portability and markets it like a health drink. “Palcohol is a boon to outdoors enthusiasts such as campers, hikers and others who wanted to enjoy adult beverages responsibly without the undue burden of carrying heavy bottles of liquid,” the website says.

Even worse is powdered caffeine, blamed for at least two deaths and dozens of hospitalizations for erratic heartbeat, seizures and vomiting. ... As a dietary supplement, powdered caffeine doesn’t need Food and Drug Administration approval, but in December the agency asked consumers to shun it ... .

Several U.S. senators recently asked the FDA to ban sales of powdered caffeine, and the agency wants consumers to report adverse reactions. Palcohol should be banned outright.