School kids in China are snapping up 'energy stick' inhalers full of mint and camphor. Local authorities are cracking down.

• Schoolkids in China are buying "energy sticks," or inhalers filled with oils, mint, or camphor.
• The new trend is worrying Chinese authorities, who fear it will become a gateway to drug abuse.

A nasal inhaler fad among schoolchildren has spooked Chinese authorities, who say it can be harmful and addictive for kids.

"Energy sticks" are small, two-pronged inhalers typically filled with oils, mint, and camphor.

They've been trending on Chinese social media for the past few weeks, and local media outlets reported that they've become popular among elementary and middle school-aged children.

"Nose-inhaled energy sticks have invaded campuses," state-affiliated news agency China News Network wrote.

Online retailers tout the inhalers as safe-to-use energy boosters that can reduce stress and fight sleepiness, and sell them in a variety of fruit-based flavors for around $1 each.

But "energy sticks" have started prompting concerns among authorities in China, especially after a video of a young boy trying to buy one at a convenience store in Tianjin went viral on October 18.

In the video, the boy told the store's cashier he'd become addicted to the inhaler.

"The more I sniff, the more I'm addicted," he told her.

The cashier, who filmed the video, appeared to refuse to sell the inhaler to the boy. "I'm afraid I'll poison you," she said.

The clip ignited a wave of strong reactions from Chinese authorities and state-affiliated media, who fear it will become a gateway to drug abuse.

The Global Times, a tabloid known to align closely with the central government's views, published an article on October 31 warning that a "horrifying number of school children get addicted to legal drug."

According to the outlet, some e-commerce retail stores on platforms like Alibaba's Taobao have already sold around 10,000 "energy sticks." The Times did not name specific retail stores and did not specify where its data came from.

Dozens of public security bureaus, which oversee law enforcement in local areas, have urged parents and teachers to keep the inhalers away from children.

The bureau in Guanghan county, Sichuan province, for example, published a notice on November 2 saying young teens who become "addicted to snorting" are at greater risk of "falling into drug traps."

Meanwhile, the Shenzhen Consumer Council balked at an inhaler advertising message to kids that read: "Take a puff before going to school. Take a puff after class."

"Parents must guide their children well and prevent kids from falling into a trap," it wrote on Tuesday.

And in Hainan, anti-drug officials carried out a "special investigation" on stationery and convenience stores around schools, the local bureau said on Tuesday.

Many bureaus also raised concerns of possible harms to children's lungs and noses.

Inhaling synthetic camphor — the most commonly used version of the substance — can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and irritate the eyes, skin, or mucous membrane, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The New York City Department of Health has designated the substance as toxic and dangerous to young children.