Ohio House Passes Bill Prohibiting the Sale of Pure Caffeine

The Ohio House of Representatives today passed Senate Bill 7, legislation that prohibits the sale of pure caffeine in the state of Ohio.

Senate Bill 7, sponsored by State Senator Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville), stems from an incident in LaGrange, Ohio when 18-year-old Logan Stiner tragically died from a lethal dose of pure caffeine. Soon after, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about the product, which is sold in a pure, powdered form.  A teaspoon of pure caffeine, according to the FDA, is equivalent to approximately the amount of caffeine in 25 cups of coffee.

“This bill puts the health and welfare of Ohioans first and foremost,” said Rep. Brown, who chairs the House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee. “It will prevent deaths from highly potent pure caffeine powder that is not properly labeled or regulated.”

House Bill 14, which passed the House earlier this year, was also amended into the bill this week during the committee process. The provision prohibits the sale of powdered or crystalline alcohol, also known as Palcohol.  This product can be easily concealed and can be added to any beverage to make an alcoholic drink.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved the sale of Palcohol in the United States in March of this year. However, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 36 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, have all introduced legislation this year that addresses powdered alcohol in some way.

Senate Bill 7 passed the House with strong bipartisan support.