Sniffy: the government wants to ban the white powder as soon as possible

For a few days now, some tobacconists have been marketing a new product, sold in grams in the form of a small white powder with “energizing” properties, to be consumed nasally using a small straw. Composed in particular of caffeine and taurine, “Sniffy” is a direct nod to cocaine consumption. Faced with this situation, the Minister of Health has announced that he wishes to ban this product as soon as possible.

Marketed in the form of a white powder and mainly composed of products with “energizing” properties, Sniffy is sold in one-gram capsules, starting at 10 euros.

Marketing aimed at young people and adolescents

Although Sniffy is prohibited for sale to minors, the manufacturer's website appears to primarily target adolescents, using a marketing pitch very similar to that developed by manufacturers of disposable electronic cigarettes (puffs). First, no rigorous age verification is carried out by the platform, since the Internet user is simply asked to provide their date of birth to access the site. As with puffs, the diversity of sweet and fruity aromas is one of the main marketing arguments used by the manufacturer, declining its product in several flavors: mint, lime, passion fruit and candy strawberry.

The world of partying and nightlife is also very present in the brand's discourse, which even goes so far as to formulate the following slogan: “No Sniffy, No Party” (“No sniffy, no party”). Finally, while the product is officially prohibited for minors, the site offers a delivery service for its products, promising “fast and discreet shipping”, which could call into question the manufacturer’s desire to reserve its product for adults.

The world of sport and work also targeted by Sniffy

Young people are not, however, the only target of this white powder, since the manufacturer is developing a sales pitch relating to sports and the world of work. On its homepage, the site emphasizes that the consumption of this product is advantageous in many ways: for concentration, energy, boost, endurance and sport. The manufacturer also details all the beneficial effects associated with each of the ingredients in its product. Thus, beta alanine is presented as an ingredient associated with increasing strength and muscle mass, favorable to an increase in endurance, while L-citrulline is presented as promoting the elimination of toxins and reducing muscle acidity during exercise.

The government has announced that it wants to ban the product as soon as possible.

Following the publication of several articles and reports on the marketing of the product, Sniffy quickly sparked indignation among the political class. In particular, Catherine Vautrin, Minister of Labor, Health and Solidarity, reacted on BFMTV, recalling the “dangerous” nature of such a product, its appeal to young people, and raising the possibility of a future ban by the public authorities. For his part, Frédéric Valletoux, Minister Delegate for Health and Prevention, has committed to studying the case to allow the product, described as “junk,” to be banned as soon as possible. He also castigated the behavior of the economic players involved in the marketing of Sniffy as “infuriating,” while deploring the permanent race between the regulatory system and the creativity of the “sellers of death.”

The possibility of an imminent ban on Sniffy also brings up the issue of nicotine pouches, which have developed rapidly in the market and which several organisations are calling for to be banned.

A product on sale in the tobacconist network

The president of the Confédération des buralistes, Philippe Coy, considered that it was “unthinkable” that this product be marketed by the network, recalling the “responsible” nature of tobacconists. However, the manufacturer of Sniffy communicates on the accessibility of its product, “available on our website and at your tobacconist”. The responsibility of tobacconists in the marketing of this powder is also quickly put into perspective by Philippe Coy, who states that “most of the sales are on social networks”. However, no data can corroborate such a statement.

The tobacconists' network's concern for public health finally surprised the journalist, who felt that it could seem contradictory on the part of tobacco product sellers. Here again, the president of Philip Coy put the health hazard posed by tobacco products into perspective: "I'm sorry, we sell cars, it causes road accidents". For comparison, 3,170 people died in France from a car accident in 2023, which is 23 times less than the average annual toll of smoking in the country.

©Generation Without Tobacco

FT

National Committee Against Smoking |