Naperville pitching region's first smoking alcohol ban
Naperville appears on track to be the first suburban community to regulate two methods of alcohol consumption that are taking hold in other regions - smoking alcohol and ingesting powdered alcohol known as "palcohol."
The city's liquor commission Thursday unanimously recommended approval of bans on the sale of both substances that also would prohibit possession of powdered alcohol and use of smoking alcohol.
The proposed "palcohol" regulation allows police to enforce a state law banning powdered alcohol sales, delivery and purchase. It goes a step further by adding possession.
"With smoking alcohol there is no state law," said Mayor Steve Chirico, who also serves as Naperville's liquor commissioner. "So this will be a new type of a law in the region."
The prohibitions of smoking and powdered alcohol would apply to people of all ages because of the public health risks associated with the substances, officials said.
"I'm just happy we're on the forefront with this, especially dealing with kids in the community," liquor commission member Diana Williams said. "I think this is a good move for us."
Dr. David Lott, medical director of addiction services for Linden Oaks Behavioral Health in Naperville, said powdered alcohol might not be any riskier than the typical form when used as directed by dissolving it slowly into liquid.
But the risk comes because teens and others could be enticed to experiment. That could lead to snorting or injecting the alcoholic powder, which Lott said bypasses the stomach, liver and metabolic systems that typically protect the body from becoming too intoxicated all at once.
The same goes for smoking alcohol.
"The big danger is the route of administration," Lott said. "When you smoke something, you're getting it to your brain faster."
Naperville's regulation would prohibit smoking alcohol by any process in which ethanol or alcoholic liquor is inhaled directly into the respiratory system. Also banned would be advertising, selling, giving away, possessing or delivering smoking alcohol.
The city council must approve the bans before they would go into effect. Lott said regulations on smoking and powdered alcohol should at least mirror laws about the typical liquid version, and it's smart for Naperville to consider going further.
"Do we need more harmful controlled substances available, really, than what we already have?" Lott said. "I think it's a reasonable consideration to think about limiting or banning it as a safety precaution."