What is “legal cocaine”? New dietary supplements that are super popular are also super problematic

The gesture is unmistakable. So is the color of the powder. What are the effects after intake? Energizing, stimulating, and refreshing. No, it's not cocaine, though it goes by various names — from Wiesn Koks in Germany to Sniffy in France — and is actually a dietary supplement made from amino acids. It is taken nasally, with the classic sniff, and in recent months, it has become a legal trend across Europe. These products, sold as dietary supplements, resemble cocaine in appearance and method of consumption but contain only legal ingredients that (at least in theory) are non-addictive: taurine, caffeine, creatine, amino acids, and maltodextrins or, in the German version, a mix of sugar and menthol to be added to snuff tobacco. They are banned for minors but easily available online, costing around 14 euros per gram. Wiesn Koks has deep roots in Bavarian tradition, especially during Oktoberfest. In Bavaria, snuff tobacco is a real culture: companies like Bernard and Pöschl are among the world’s largest producers, and during the Munich festival, tobacco is often mixed with the so-called "Bavarian cocaine", a blend of dextrose and menthol used to create different aromas. According to an article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the consumption of white snuff tobacco increased by 500% during the two weeks of Oktoberfest and reportedly originated from a 2015 police report in which two tourists complained to the Wiesnwache (Bavarian police) about the number of visitors snorting cocaine. From there, a cult following formed around Wiesn Koks, turning it into today's trend.

Sniffy, on the other hand, has a different story. Produced and distributed by a company based in Marseille, this energizing white powder has seen a sales boom over the past year. Exact figures are still unknown due to how quickly the trend has spread, but the composition is known: a series of legal stimulants — arginine, caffeine, creatine, L-citrulline, taurine, beta-alanine, and maltodextrin — that, according to the official website, guarantee “an instant energy boost lasting twenty to thirty minutes”. Available in flavors like passion fruit, strawberry candy, and fresh mint, its primary target is clearly young people — and that’s the most problematic point. The Mario Negri Institute warns that products like Sniffy can be dangerous from a psychological standpoint, as the gestures and social context in which they are consumed could become a “behavioral gateway to the abuse of more dangerous and illegal substances like cocaine”. Unsurprisingly, in recent years, the situation surrounding drugs and drug trafficking in Europe has become increasingly critical. A study by the EUDA (European Union Drug Agency), published in March 2025, analyzed daily wastewater samples between March and May 2024. The data covered approximately 68.8 million people in 128 European cities and revealed the presence of six narcotic substances in wastewater plants: amphetamines, cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, ketamine, and cannabis. Among these, cocaine use is clearly on the rise. In 2022, EU countries recorded 84,000 seizures of cocaine, totaling 323 tons, an increase from 303 tons in 2021. EUDA analysts expect the trend to continue growing, noting that “nearly 70% of drug seizures by global customs authorities occur in EU ports”.

Measures to counter the trend are already in place, but the battle still seems long. In September 2024, Eurojust, the EU agency for judicial cooperation, launched the European Judicial Network against organized crime, focusing on the fight against drug trafficking and dealing rather than on the consumer. This approach recalls Law 30/2000, through which Portugal in 2001 became the first country to abolish criminal penalties for personal drug possession. However, after 25 years, the experiment seems to be in crisis. According to the Washington Post, overdose rates in Portugal have reached their highest levels in the last 12 years and, between 2019 and 2023, nearly doubled in Lisbon. Wastewater analyses show that cocaine and ketamine levels are among the highest in Europe, peaking on weekends. In Porto, the collection of drug-related waste increased by 24% between 2021 and 2022, and the number is expected to rise further this year. Crime — including thefts and robberies in public spaces — increased by 14% between 2021 and 2022, and Portuguese police link the phenomenon to increased drug use and dealing. Drug use and dealing have always brought numerous other issues. Substances like Sniffy and Wiesn Koks could accustom users to gestures and social contexts that make them more inclined to use cocaine, thus fueling the vicious cycle of addiction.