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A new product that promises to turn water into alcoholic drinks has created a stir this month after it first cleared a federal regulatory hurdle, but then that approval was rescinded.

Known as Palcohol, the product consists of small, one-ounce packets of powder that, when mixed with water, turn into rum, vodka, or one of four cocktails: cosmopolitan, mojito, Powderita (鈥渢astes just like a Margarita鈥�) and lemon drop.

On April 8, the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved labels for the packaging of Palcohol. But in a statement Monday, the agency said: 鈥淭hose label approvals were issued in error and have since been surrendered.鈥�

While the owner of Palcohol, Lipsmark, pointed to technical problems with the labels, some others contend that the federal government rethought its decision.

This much is for sure: There has been no shortage of anti-alcohol groups and research groups criticizing the product, and the company has moved into defensive mode, trying to respond to the coverage.

鈥淸I]t鈥檚 amazing how many news outlets have so many facts wrong about Palcohol,鈥� says the product鈥檚 website, Palcohol.com. One mistake: 鈥渢hat a package has 65% alcohol by volume (it has 10-12%).鈥�

Critics of Palcohol have expressed a range of concerns, about everything from potential young users to snorting of the product.

鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to hide and take places where it鈥檚 undetectable,鈥� said Jan Withers, national president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, during the 鈥淣BC Nightly News鈥� telecast on Monday. 鈥淎gain, this helps point out the importance that parents need to stay on top of this.鈥�

Carole Lieberman, a well-known Beverly Hills, Calif., psychiatrist who treats patients with alcoholism and other addictions, cites school, concerts, and sporting events as places where teens might try to sneak Palcohol.

The development of this powdery product is a troubling sign of the times, others say.

鈥淔irst, legalized marijuana. Now, alcohol in powdered form. No matter that Federal approval was reeled in. The genie is out of the bottle,鈥� says Ben Agger, director of the Center for Theory in the sociology department at the University of Texas at Arlington. 鈥淐learly, we are heading rapidly toward a convenience-store approach to getting high and getting wasted,鈥� says Dr. Agger, whose made his comments via e-mail.

Not everyone sees it that way, however.

鈥淧alcohol is like any other regulated product; if used properly and in moderation, there shouldn鈥檛 be an issue,鈥� says Freeborn & Peters attorney Ashley Brandt, who serves as a member of the firm's Food Industry Team and runs the 鈥淟ibation Law Blog.鈥� Each new use that people consider could lead to unintended consequences, he says in an e-mail interview, 鈥渂ut in general, the consequences of abuse and overconsumption are pretty well understood and documented.鈥�

Lipsmark, which is located in Phoenix, insists it is headed for an autumn rollout of the product.

The Palcohol website comments on the rescinding of the label approval: 鈥淸T]here seemed to be a discrepancy on our fill level, how much powder is in the bag. There was a mutual agreement for us to surrender the labels.鈥�

It continues, 鈥淭his doesn鈥檛 mean that Palcohol isn鈥檛 approved. It just means that these labels aren鈥檛 approved. We will re-submit labels.鈥�

Others say that something else may be going on.

The discrepancy over fill volumes 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 merit a lengthy lag-time for approving new labels that correct the error in the fill volumes,鈥� says Mr. Brandt, the attorney. 鈥淭he fuss over the product in the press was likely the reason.鈥�

Some organizations are urging the public to get involved at the state level. In the event that TTB approves the labels, states would then have considerable say in regulating sales of the product.

鈥淚f people see the development of this product as a threat, they can take the issue to their state legislators, who can see that Palcohol is not sold in state liquor stores,鈥� says Sarah Mart, director of research at Alcohol Justice, a California nonprofit in San Rafael.