On  April 8th, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved what appeared to be a game-changing product that finally answers the question, “Turn down for what?”

Say hello to Palcohol, a form of freeze-dried liquor that may be making its way to the mouths (and nostrils) of consumers around America.

Palcohol, or powdered alcohol, comes in packet form and can be mixed with water to produce vodka, rum, and a variety of cocktails. The company markets the product to “active adults” who want “refreshing beverages on the go.”

It is intended to make liquor more convenient and portable, and it will be sold under the same restrictions as regular alcohol.

But restrictions or not, the blatant problem with this new product is that it can be abused too easily.

The convenience and easy concealment of the alcohol packets, coupled with the public’s unfamiliarity with the product, will inevitably lead to a spike in disastrous cases of intoxication-related accidents.

In addition, there is the concern that people will begin snorting the alcohol, resulting in immediate inebriation, as well as brain damage and alcohol poisoniong.

To a generation of kids who snort condoms and Kool-Aid powder, Palcohol will likely be the reinvention of sliced bread. The powder will be easy to smuggle around and will appear deviously inconspicuous. Bringing Vodka to Homecoming has become a hundred times easier, and so has getting “turnt” in second period algebra.

On Palcohol’s website, the comapny states that their product can be “sprinkled on food” as well as used in antiseptics, livestock supplements, and emergency fuel or windshield washer fluid.

Unfortunately, those who are eager for powdered alcohol to hit shelves will be disappointed to hear that authorization of Palcohol was withdrawn less than two weeks after it was passed because of a labeling mistake.

Pandora’s Box has been shut for now, but Palcohol will resubmit their faulty labels and continue to push for the approval of their product. It is expected to hit the liquor stores next fall.

Palcohol embodies America’s obsession with commodity. Yes, it is convenient, but it is also destructive, and our world is not in dire need of it.

So can we please turn down a little bit?