Sniffy, the energizing powder to inhale, has just been banned in France

undefined 25 juillet 2024 undefined 17h00

The Editor

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Now available online and in tobacco shops, the sale of Sniffy is now banned. This measure was initiated by the Ministry of Health, which has been denouncing its dangerous resemblance to cocaine for several months.

As soon as it was noticed, it was quickly criticized and almost immediately banned. The sniffy, this white powder to sniff produced in Marseille, had been causing controversy for its similarity to cocaine for a few months. The government had already announced at the end of May its intention to ban this product, a measure now taken with the signing of a ban order by Catherine Vautrin, the outgoing Minister of Health.


What is Sniffy?

Registered with the INPI in mid-2023, it was in spring 2024 that the Sniffy brand began to make headlines, noticed by the media and criticized by experts. This product, available in several flavors, is inhaled through the nose and acts as an energizer within 20 to 30 minutes. Sold online and in some tobacconists, Sniffy, which cost between 15 and 20 euros per gram, was prohibited for minors.

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A Sneaky Step towards Cocaine

"It must be banned as soon as possible," declared Health Minister Frédéric Valletoux on May 26th on Franceinfo when he became aware of the existence of the product. Indeed, while the legal composition of sniffy, made from l-arginine, an amino acid, caffeine, creatinine, l-citrulline, taurine, and maltodextrin, differs from that of cocaine, its mode of consumption is very similar.

At the same time, psychiatrist and addiction specialist Amine Benyamina, president of the French Federation of Addiction, expressed his concern about the product being a lure into drug use on BFM TV.In an interview with BFMTV, psychiatrist and addiction specialist Amine Benyamina criticized the "symbolism of cocaine" being promoted with Sniffy: "It is the gesture and all the unconscious thought around the product, which is in powder form, with a pipette that represents the gestures and rituals of cocaine. It is even more insidious than we can imagine," he explained.

The government kept its promises. On June 3, Catherine Vautrin contacted the European Commission to request permission to issue an order banning Sniffy, a request that was met with a positive response. The order is expected to be published in the Official Journal within the week to take effect, as specified by her office.

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