Akuz Alarm

Drug campaigners are worried that a new herbal powder called Akuz is glamorising drugs.

Akuz comes in a little blue bottle and works in a similar way to energy drinks. However, Akuz powder is sniffed, and this has led some drug awareness charities to worry that it could encourage people to go on and take cocaine.

Akuz is a legal substance, it's a bright, orange powder, made from guarana and glucose and smells like menthol. It's similar to snuff but it doesn't contain any tobacco.

To use it, you turn a lever on the side of the bottle and then empty it upside down on your hand. This releases one shot of the powder into the tip of the bottle. Then you put it up one of your nostrils and snort it.

The BBC have reported that drug campaigners are worried that Akuz will make it easier for people to move on to harder, illegal drugs, like cocaine. Drug Scientist Alan Morinan said: "We do know that drug paraphernalia, anything associated with the drug scene, needles or sniffing - all these can illicit drug seeking behaviour."

However, the makers of Akuz say they don't think their product glamorises drugs. Sue Robinson, one of the company's promoters feels that Akuz is encouraging people to try herbal highs, rather than promoting harder drugs and drug seeking behaviour, she said: "They're using something a lot more natural and better for them than drugs."

The idea of Akuz is certainly splitting opinion; some leading UK bar chains have banned the powder on their premises, as they don't want to encourage any sort of sniffing culture. While some leading drug charities feel that it's herbal and that it doesn't pose a threat.

For more information on herbal highs and Akuz click here.