California’s Senate Governmental Organization (GO) Committee has unanimously passed AB 1554 to ban powdered alcohol.

The bill is authored by Assembly member Jacqui Irwin, and co-authored by Senator Bob Huff.

The bill will prohibit the possession, purchase, sale, distribution, manufacture, or use of powdered alcohol in California. Violation of these terms will lead to fine.

"We applaud Assembly member Irwin, Senator Hall, and all the other GO Committee members for their continued support."

Assembly member Irwin said: "Powdered alcohol is a dangerous product, designed and marketed as a way to make super-charged cocktails on the go. Alcohol related deaths are already a huge problem in California and adding powdered alcohol to the mix is a recipe for disaster."

Alcohol Justice executive director and CEO Bruce Lee Livingston said: "We applaud Assembly member Irwin, Senator Hall, and all the other GO Committee members for their continued support of a ban on this youth-attractive, alcoholic substance."

California Alcohol Policy Alliance co-chair Richard Zaldivar said: "As soon as this bill is passed by the entire legislature and signed by Governor Brown, California will join 32 other states which have already banned the product to protect the health and safety of our young people."

SB 819, a similar measure in the Senate authored by Senator Huff, passed earlier through the Senate and the Assembly GO Committee.

SB 819 and AB 1554 measures are supported by several public health and safety advocates.