West Virginia bans 190-proof booze

West Virginia banned the sale of 190-proof grain alcohol earlier this month.

“At 95 percent… West Virginia banned the sale of 190-proof grain alcohol earlier this month.

“At 95 percent alcohol, it packs too much punch,” said Gary Robinson, a representative from the Education and Public Information Department of the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration.

Pennsylvania had already banned the sale of 190-proof grain alcohol.

Robinson said that the ban took effect because of concerns expressed by a college coalition with which he worked.

He said that the feedback he received from the coalition, administrators, campus security and health officials all pointed to the need for the product to be removed from retail shelves.

The administration is responsible for distributing alcohol to the 159 retail stores throughout the state, according to a press release issued by West Virginia. As a result of the ban, all of the 190-proof grain alcohol has been removed from the department’s warehouse. The warehouse will still continue to stock a less potent 151-proof grain alcohol.

Steven Schmidt, the director of alcohol education for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, said that the Keystone State enacted a similar ban on 190-proof grain alcohol in 1999.

At that time, grain alcohol was placed on a list of products that can only be purchased with a permit from the Department of Licensing of the PLCB. Schmidt said grain alcohol is often used as a solvent or for industrial purposes.

Like Robinson, Schmidt also worked closely with colleges. He has spent approximately the last eight years working with colleges and college communities.

He said that during that time he kept hearing that grain alcohol was a fairly popular drink, and people often drank it in such a way that it lead to sexual violence and crime, most frequently when it involved young women.

Some college officials expressed their concerns of the danger that existed when drinking this particular alcohol, especially for young people who are unaware of proof and percent alcohol present in liquor.

“We looked at how grain alcohol was sold in the state and where it was sold,” Schmidt said. “Predominantly, the largest sellers were close to college campuses. It was obviously being bought by a young public.”

Schmidt said that the reason grain alcohol was removed from the market was because there are significant risks associated with it. Grain alcohol is cheap, odorless and tasteless. This means that when people consume it, they may not know how much they are actually drinking.

Despite the ban on the sale of 190-proof grain alcohol, Schmidt has continued to hear about people drinking it from his contacts at colleges. The use is not as predominant as before, but it does still exist.

“Look, I’m realistic to recognize the chances that students will still go across state lines to buy [grain alcohol],” Schmidt said. “If we all work together, like Pennsylvania and West Virginia, it is going to be harder to access it. You cannot buy it right down the street.”

Ohio and Virginia have already banned 190-proof grain alcohol, but Maryland still sells it.

There are also Web sites that sell grain alcohol, though some restrict shipping to Pennsylvania, and Schmidt said that it is illegal to purchase and have shipped to you any wine or spirits that they have listed as for sale by permit only.