Little tired? Sniff a line of energy powder – and no, we don’t mean cocaine. ‘Energy sniffs’ are on the rise in Europe, but there are risks associated with this. ‘There is a point of no return for users.’
What is an ‘energy sniff’?
‘Sniff the power of the Alps and stay awake.’ It almost seems like an advertising slogan for a ski resort, but the manufacturer of Wildkraut means it quite literally. Wildkraut Energy Sniff is an energy powder that you must consume by snorting it. In return, you get an energy boost that would help with exercise, work and even a hangover. Plus, it works immediately, unlike energy drinks or an everyday cup of coffee that take about half an hour. At least: that is what the Austrian company behind Wildkraut promises, which is now being chased by other manufacturers who want to benefit from the success.
According to the company, the product is chock full of natural ingredients that grow in the Alps at an altitude of 1,600 meters. The ingredients list includes master root, water mint, taurine, caffeine and guarana.
It contains no nicotine and it is completely legal. And although you don’t have one yet energy sniffs you will find on the racks next to the Red Bulls, you can already buy a bottle online on Amazon (for 22 euros). Such a bottle contains one gram of Wildkraut, which should be good for at least twenty ‘sniffs’.
Does it really work?
First of all, the effect obviously depends on which ingredients are actually contained. But that the energizing effect of a energy sniff is noticeable more quickly than with a drink, is certainly true, says toxicologist Jan Tytgat (KU Leuven): “This is because our nose has very good blood circulation. There are many blood vessels in it, and that is also the reason why someone can bleed so heavily after a knock on the nose.”
In concrete terms, such a well-circulated nose means that everything you sniff easily enters your body through those blood vessels and immediately starts circulating. Tytgat adds that the active ingredients, such as caffeine, do not first have to pass through the stomach or liver. “Less is lost and the substances reach the heart and brain faster.”
The makers of Wildkraut and others energy sniffs still emphasize that their product is ‘healthier’ because it goes directly through the nose. Energy drinks and coffee are hard on the stomach, it sounds. “A stomach can be irritated by certain substances in such drinks. For that reason, some people do not drink coffee, for example,” says the toxicologist. “We also know that with certain medicines, such as the classic aspirin, people experience stomach problems if they take them for too long. From a purely scientific point of view, we can indeed say that you can avoid the problem by taking something through the nose.”
This sounds great, but are there any risks involved?
To start with: chances are that those around you will appreciate it less if you start snorting powder than if you just drank an espresso macchiato. Police officers may even pull you aside if you take such a boost. But there are also health risks, says Tytgat: “The biggest risk is that it will almost literally destroy your nose if you start using such powders chronically. We know this from experience with cocaine users who snort very regularly.”
By sniffing you damage your nose, and especially your nasal septum. It causes irritation and can lead to abscesses, inflammation, blood vessels that no longer function normally and ultimately, Tytgat warns: a point of no return. “You can start sniffing to such an extent that you have a nose that no longer functions normally.” It is difficult to determine accurately when you reach this point of no return. “But if you snort a powder three or four times a day for months, we are talking about chronic use.”
As far as the effect of the herbal herbs is concerned, everything depends on the extracts that are effectively contained. Tytgat: “We have known for decades that medicinal plants really work. But there are also some that are very toxic to the kidneys and they will be the victims.”
The toxicologist therefore hopes that manufacturers will indicate on a kind of leaflet which plant extracts are involved. In a correct way, because Tytgat notes that caffeine and guarana are listed next to each other at Wildkraut: “But this is actually the same thing. It is incorrect information and in this way they are misleading the consumer.”
Could a product like this open the way to hard drugs for some users?
“Yes, that is a real risk,” says the toxicologist. “The comparison is easily made with the e-cigarette. It was marketed as a smoking cessation tool, but it has proven to be a precursor to vaping recreational synthetic substances, with all the dangers that entails.”
According to Tytgat, things could happen in a similar way with snuff powder: “You can still justify snorting certain substances with medically responsible use to a certain extent. But it can also give people ideas to suddenly start snorting more and different powders, and that is of course wrong.”
