Professor Patrick Dallemagne and Doctor Nicolas Cabé share their thoughts on Sniffy.
- Recently sold in tobacco shops with a straw, Sniffy is a white powder that is consumed through the nose.
- “The intranasal route of administration is doubly questionable. Firstly because it mimics a well-known and dangerous recreational practice (cocaine consumption, Editor’s note). Secondly because it bypasses the BBB (blood-brain barrier) and brings the molecules directly to the brain,” says Patrick Dallemagne.
- “There is no risk of addiction but there is a risk of nasal lesions. Sniffy also trivializes the act of snorting without reminding people of the risks and without prevention messages,” Nicolas Cabé also believes.
Sniffy appeared in France a few weeks ago. Sold in tobacconists, this white powder that is consumed through the nose has continued to cause controversy ever since.
Sniffy: “There is a risk of nasal damage”
Is it really a product dangerous for health? Patrick Dallemagne, professor of pharmacology at the University of Caen, and Doctor Nicolas Cabé, specialist in addiction at the University Hospital of Caen and lecturer at the University of Caen, answer in the affirmative by sounding the alarm.
“The composition of the powder is similar to that of an energy drink,” begins Patrick Dallemagne. “But the intranasal route of administration, on the other hand, is doubly questionable. Firstly because it mimics a well-known and dangerous recreational practice (the consumption of cocaine, Editor’s note). Then because it short-circuits the BBB (blood-brain barrier) and brings the molecules directly to the brain level,” he continues.
The same observation is made by Dr Nicolas Cabé. “There is no risk of addiction but there is a risk of nasal damage. Sniffy also trivializes the act of snorting without reminders of the risks and without prevention messages,” estimates the specialist.
Sniffy: an order to request the banning of this product
On May 25, Frédéric Vailletoux, Minister Delegate for Health and Prevention, declared that Sniffy was a “dirty stuff” on France Info. (…) “I will see in the coming days how we can ban this type of thing. (…) We must ban it as soon as we can,” he continued.
France has since filed a decree with the European Union on Monday June 3 to request a ban. “products sold in powder form intended to be consumed intranasally”.
“Given the dangers presented by products sold in powder form and intended to be consumed intranasally, which may be confused with the consumption of narcotics, this text suspends the placing on the market, free of charge or for a fee, of these products for a period of one year”, can be read in the decree.
On the website created by the producers of Sniffy, we learn that this powder, sold with a straw already provided and intended for “boost energy almost instantly”, is composed of l-arginine, creatine, maltodextrin, caffeine, l-citrulline, taurine and beta alanine.