Health Market Science

Despite medical professionals claiming the use of inhalable caffeine products are on the rise, many critics consider the product to pose a threat to people's health.

AeroShot is a lipstick-sized tube that contains inhalable caffeine people can inject without hurting their stomachs but still experiencing a energy kick. The product became available on the market in January in Massachusetts and New York, and is also for sale in France. While the product contains no additives to amplify the caffeine effect as energy drinks tend to do, the plastic canisters contain 100 milligrams of caffeine powder in each unit. The caffeine content is equal to a large cup of coffee, and the canisters also contain B vitamins for an extra energy boost, The Associated Press reported.

Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, is calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review AeroShot to make sure the product cannot be abused as a club drug by young people allowing them to keep drinking beyond healthy consumption without passing out. Schumer's concerns are in response to reports of students using caffeine-infused alcoholic drinks to get a cheap buzz while drinking. Labeled a blackout in a can, these drinks are very strong and can have adverse effects on consumers. But unlike these drinks, AeroShoot safely delivers caffeine only into the consumer, just like coffee, the source reported.

When the consumer shoots a puff of the caffeine powder into their mouths, the lemon-lime flavored substance dissolves instantly on their tongue, offering energy without any calories. Each canister contains six puffs of the powder. Dr. Lisa Ganjhu from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, told the source the most important thing to remember when consuming a caffeinated product is to know how much caffeine is being ingested.

"You want those 10 cups of coffee, it will probably take you a couple hours to get through all that coffee with all that volume that you are drinking," Ganjhu said. "With these inhale caffeine canisters you can get that in 10 of those little canisters - so you just puff away and you could be getting all of that within the hour."

According to Aeroshot's website, to use the canister, consumers must pull the yellow end to open and put the opposite end in their mouth. Then consumers should press the canister to release a puff of caffeine powder into the canister and breathe in deeply. The canister can be resealed with the thumb, and an energy rush should be felt within a few minutes. The target audience for the product is athletes, college students or professionals getting through a long work day. Benefits associated with choosing AeroShot over a caffeinated beverage include no calorie intake and less harm to the linings of stomach walls.