Preemptive prohibition in West Virginia

Radley at the Agitator reports that West Virginia has banned grain alcohol because college students *might* get into trouble with it. The ban comes at the behest of college administrators around the state, like Carla Lapelle at Marshall University.

"It has traditionally been purchased by groups of people, often college students, who are intent on getting very drunk and who suffer serious consequences from a severe hangover to falling victim to sexual assault or even a car crash," she said.

Lapelle said she was unaware of any such incidents involving grain alcohol among students at Marshall, which already bans all alcohol on campus, but considered the move prudent.

Officials at West Virginia University also support the ban, even though they can't recall any specific incidents involving grain alcohol either.

"We applaud their efforts to try to reduce the negative consequences of the consumption of grain alcohol," said WVU spokeswoman Becky Lofstead.

But Lofstead said she, too, could recall no specific episodes blamed on grain alcohol abuse. The owner of a liquor store near WVU's main campus in Morgantown said the product was not particularly popular among students.

The full story on this new preemptive prohibition can be found here.