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It’s buzzy.
Locals are turning to snortable caffeine instead of coffee when they need a jolt of energy.
“It’s like a less intense cocaine minus all the bad side effects,” said Max, a 32-year-old who lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, and works in business development.
Max, who asked to not use his last name for professional reasons, first learned about snortable caffeine in November, when he stumbled upon the brand Want A Bump? on Amazon. Intrigued, he ordered a 1-gram vial for $14.99 and took a whiff.
“I remember feeling it immediately and being very blown away by that,” he said.
Now, over the course of a week, he does about 500mg, mostly at home, throughout the day, for a hit of energy.
“The biggest thing for me is that it doesn’t affect my sleep as much as drinking caffeine,” he said of the appeal, adding that, “The novelty of snorting is really groovy. Thirteen-year-old me would be going nuts.”
Want A Bump? launched last summer and has struggled to keep up with demand, according to a post on its Instagram. It sells a caffeine nasal spray, vials of powder and fake rolled money to assist with consumption.
“We don’t just sell products; we strive to improve everyday life,” the company’s website advertises, describing its product as “an innovative energy supplement that consists of a balanced blend of caffeine and inositol [a sugar produced by the body] designed to provide an immediate, smooth energy boost.”
Want A Bump? shares the market with Turbo Snort, a caffeinated nasal spray that promises “400 hours of energy.” It sells for $11.99 for a 20ml bottle on Walmart.com and has been around for years.
But, It’s Want a Bump! that really seems to be making a push online, with a dedicated Influencer promotional program that offers cash incentives to those who share videos featuring the product on social media.
In an Instagram review, content creator Dillon Slaughter snorts a line of the powder off of a key, his palm and directly out of the vial before giving it a “ten out of ten” review.
“If you were trying to quit cocaine this might be a good alternative,” he declares.
Medical professionals, however, aren’t so keen on the trend.
“Caffeine in food or drink is slower to absorb” than through the nose, explained Dr. Shaline Rao Director of Heart Failure Services at NYU Langone Hospital, Long Island. Because of this, sniffers should put extra care to “be precise in delivery” and to note the how much they’ve consumed.
“The key is keeping the amount safe” and “to note the upper limit of uses, to avoid overdose, and [allow] appropriate time between doses,” Rao told The Post.
She also cautioned that regular snorting could harm nasal passages — just as with cocaine.
“I would worry that repeat inhalation of caffeine through the nose could result in damage to the nares,” she said.
Max isn’t concerned about his occasional use at this point, but, there is one issue, he’s encountered.
“There’s really no way to do it that doesn’t look sketchy”
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