COLUMBUS, Ohio – A bill banning the sale of powdered caffeine and alcohol in Ohio is headed to the desk of Governor John Kasich for his signature after winning approval in the Ohio Senate Wednesday.
The ban applies to products that are essentially pure caffeine and have classified as unregulated dietary supplements by the Food and Drug Administration, which issued a warning that a single teaspoon of the powder has roughly the same amount of caffeine as 25 cups of coffee.
The warning and the introduction of the Ohio measure by state Sen. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) followed the death of Logan Stiner, 18, of LaGrange, who died in May 2014 from a lethal dose of caffeine.
A House committee added an amendment that also prohibits the sale of powdered or crystalline alcohol, also known as Palcohol, which opponents say can be easily concealed and added to any beverage to make an alcoholic drink.