Why should we remind children to stay away from "nasal energy bars" that can refresh the mind? | Hot Topics

Editor: Sunny Morning

"One puff before school, one puff after class." Following the carrot knife, a thing called "nasal energy bar" has recently become popular among students. It looks like a stick-shaped plastic tube, and it contains camphor, mint and other ingredients. The merchants claim that it is "pure and non-toxic." But is this "nasal energy bar" really non-toxic and harmless? Is it addictive?

According to reports, many online merchants are selling this kind of "nasal energy bar", with prices ranging from a few yuan to dozens of yuan, and some products have monthly sales of thousands of pieces. From the merchants' publicity, the products are mainly composed of menthol, borneol, plant essential oils and other ingredients, and some products also contain a variety of strong alcohol ingredients. The merchants also claim that this product can refresh the mind, relieve stress, improve the respiratory tract, and even treat colds and headaches. Moreover, it does not contain harmful substances such as nicotine and tar, and will not cause harm to the body, making it suitable for use in class to refresh.

Xing Zhimin, chief physician of the Department of Otolaryngology at Peking University People's Hospital, said that inserting "nasal energy bars" into the nostrils is completely incorrect. In life, you cannot just stuff such things into your nostrils. First, there are bacteria, and second, it will also damage the nasal mucosa .

Another expert pointed out that although the camphor and mint in the "nasal inhalation stick" are natural ingredients, excessive use can also cause adverse effects on the human body . For example, long-term or large-scale inhalation of camphor can cause damage to the nervous system, liver damage, breathing difficulties, nausea and vomiting, etc. If used for a long time, it may also cause drug dependence. Once discontinued, symptoms of mental depression and fatigue will appear .

The Hubei Anti-Drug Office also issued a statement saying that the harmfulness of nasal inhalation addiction is beyond imagination. For teenagers whose personality and outlook are not yet mature, this behavior may reduce their psychological defense against drugs and make them more likely to fall into drug traps . As one of the ways to take drugs, nasal inhalation can easily damage the function of the nasal mucosa, causing rhinitis at the mildest and nasal ulcers and bleeding at the worst .

In fact, "sniffing energy bars" are not an isolated case. Previously, "cigarette candies" were popular in primary and secondary school campuses. "Cigarette candies" completely imitated the shape of cigarettes to cater to the curiosity and imitation psychology of underage students. Many primary and secondary school students even began to try real cigarettes through "cigarette candies". In addition, there is a "white powder snack" called Mo Yan Shuang, which is even more harmful. Students eat "Mo Yan Shuang" by imitating drug use. They also call this snack "K powder" or "Xixu Le". It is gratifying that the State Council Food Safety Office, the Ministry of Education and the Food and Drug Administration jointly investigated and dealt with foods such as "Mo Yan Shuang", and resolutely put an end to the harmful inducement that affects the physical and mental health of minors.

In short, although nasal energy bars have a certain effect of refreshing the mind, their health risks cannot be ignored. The Tianjin Consumer Association said that parents and children should be vigilant, and at the same time suggested that relevant departments intervene to strengthen supervision around the campus to protect the physical and mental health of children and adolescents. On the one hand, the sales channels of "nasal energy bars" within the school should be eliminated, and "nasal energy bars" should be strictly prohibited from entering the school; on the other hand, some campus signs can also be installed to publicize the hazards of "nasal energy bars", which will help improve students' knowledge of the hazards of "nasal energy bars" after addiction .