By: Nketia Anthony (MPH. Health Education and Promotion, BSc. Herbal Medicine)
When the topic concerning snorting substances is raised, people usually cast their minds to substances such as cocaine, heroin, or crushed painkillers. Certainly, it’s very unlikely to include any alcoholic product in this category at a first instance or at all. This is because alcohol/alcoholic beverages are ideally made to be taken in a particular manner, through the enteral route.
However, there is a new trend pertaining to the intake of alcohol/alcoholic beverages of late. In the hopes of getting a cheap, quick buzz and what have you, people nowadays resort to snorting small amounts of alcohol/alcoholic beverages such as akpeteshie, gin, and vodka.
Whiles some people use straws in the process, others just put their noses in the glass and sniff. Additionally, some people also snort alcohol into the nose or inhaled into the mouth through a tube using a new device known as an Alcohol Without Liquid (AWOL) vaporizer.
Ideally, alcohol/alcoholic beverage is intended to be ingested orally so that the stomach and liver will aid in its metabolism through certain pathways by enzymes viz., alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). These enzymes help break apart the alcohol molecule, making it possible to be eliminated from the body.
However, when alcohol/alcoholic beverages are snorted, it bypasses the necessary metabolism and goes straight into the bloodstream without being processed (and diluted). As a result, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) surges higher, instigating the effects of the alcohol to be felt faster and more intensely.
It is not advisable to snort alcohol, akpeteshie, vodka, or any type of liquor. According to medical experts, the ramifications of snorting alcohol/alcoholic beverages are concerning and include those outlined below;
- Snorting alcohol can damage the sensitive skin inside your nose. The chemicals in alcohol/alcoholic beverages can cause inflammation of your nasal lining leading to its deterioration. This can cause respiratory system problems thereby, making it difficult for you to breathe normally.
- Snorting alcohol can lead to a much higher chance of alcohol poisoning. Acute alcohol intoxication (alcohol poisoning) is usually associated with this snorting habit. This potentially life-threatening condition happens when your body is faced with more alcohol in the process. This affects the areas of your brain that control physical functions like breathing, heart rate, and temperature.
- Inhaling alcohol can cause serious brain damage. Alcohol, when snorted goes directly into the brain without being filtered by the liver. This could cause irreversible damage to nerves, bring about swelling and possibly lead to dementia in the long term.
- Inhaling vaporized alcohol can get chemicals into the bloodstream rapidly. The effects of the alcohol can be felt much quicker as it is directly absorbed through blood vessels in the nose or lungs – bypassing the stomach and liver.
- The habit of snorting alcohol can result in the loss of smell, nosebleeds, frequent runny nose, and problems with swallowing.
- Also, chronic snorting can evoke hypertension, increase sympathetic neural activity, impair reflex bradycardia, and enhance baroreflex tachycardic response.
Take home:
Snorting alcohol/alcoholic beverages is hazardous to health and well-being, and hence you should never engage in such practice. However, if you or someone you know has engaged in these dangerous methods of alcohol consumption, it is imperative you seek medical or professional aid as soon as possible.
**Always opt for a healthy lifestyle, you are the custodian of your own health and well-being**
References:
Bianchi, P.C., Costa Ferreira, W., Antonagi Engi, S., Palombo, P., Carneiro de Oliveira, P.E., Gomes de Souza, L., Crestani, C.C., da Costa, J.L., da Silva Planeta, C., Molini Leão, R. and Cardoso Cruz, F., 2019. Prolonged exposure to alcohol vapor causes change in cardiovascular function in female but not in male rats. Alcoholism: clinical and experimental research, 43(6), pp.1066-1076.
England, A. (2021). Snorting Alcohol: Effects, Risks, Safety Tips, and More. [Online]. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/alcohol/snorting-alcohol. Accessed on: 11/04/2021.
McKeever, A. (2012). 13 Ways to Get Drunk Without Actually Drinking – Eater. [Online]. Available at: https://www.alcohol.org/alcoholism/getting-drunk-without-drinking/. Accessed on: 11/04/2021.
