Insufflation (Snorting)

Insufflation — snorting — means drawing a powdered substance into the nasal passages, where the thin, vascular mucous membrane absorbs it into the bloodstream. This guide doesn't encourage use; it assumes use is already happening and aims to reduce harm. For many substances snorting is lower-harm than injection (no needle, no vein damage, no needle-borne disease), but it carries its own risks — nasal tissue damage and, through shared equipment, hepatitis C and other infections. The single most important step: use your own equipment and never share it.

Accessing supplies Single-use snorting straws, sterile water, saline spray, and drug-checking supplies are available from many syringe services programs (SSPs) and harm reduction distributors.

1. How snorting works

The nasal lining is thin, richly vascularised, and absorbs substances quickly — onset is faster than swallowing but slower than injecting. It partly bypasses first-pass digestive/liver metabolism, so effects can be stronger than an equivalent oral dose.

That same lining is easily damaged, and damage opens a route for infection and bloodborne-virus transmission via shared equipment. ("Sniffing" to smell and "snorting" powder up for absorption are not the same thing.)

2. Materials

Your own single-use straw or a clearly-marked personal tube (mark or colour-code it so it is never mixed up)
A clean, hard, non-porous surface (cardstock or hard plastic wiped with an alcohol swab)
A clean tool to crush/chop to a fine powder
Sterile water and/or saline spray for rinsing afterward
Drug-checking supplies (fentanyl/xylazine strips; FTIR where available)
Naloxone on hand if the substance is or may contain an opioid

What to avoid Don't use rolled banknotes — bills harbour bacteria and antibiotic-resistant organisms like MRSA and are commonly shared. Avoid keys, pens, and rigid glass/metal tubes with sharp or cracked edges that cut the nasal lining.

3. Preparing the line

1
Wash hands; wipe the surface and tool with an alcohol swab
2
Crush the substance as finely as possible Especially crystal meth, pressed pills, rocks, or granules. Fine powder abrades less, absorbs better, and can mean less drug for the same effect; large granules scratch and absorb poorly.
3
Arrange the line on the clean surface

4. Technique & aftercare

1
Use your own straw, or bump off the back of a clean hand
2
Snort the line
3
Rotate nostrils Switch sides between uses to give each side time to recover.
4
Rinse afterward A few drops of sterile water or a saline spray/sinus rinse clears residue and reduces irritation. Plain tap water stings — use saline.
5
Soothe and heal Vitamin E oil, saline spray, sinus rinse, or a water-based lubricant inside the nose helps the lining heal between uses.
6
Dispose of single-use straws; don't reuse or share

If the nose is raw If it feels raw, painful, or keeps bleeding, switch to swallowing (where the substance allows) until the lining heals, and talk to a healthcare provider or harm reduction worker.

Never share equipment (the central risk) Snorting ruptures tiny blood vessels, transferring microscopic amounts of blood — too small to see — onto the straw or tube. Sharing passes that blood to the next person: hepatitis C and B can transmit this way even with no visible blood, and HIV is possible too. Your own straw, every time, is the single most important step.

5. Nasal tissue protection

Fine powder, nostril rotation, rinsing, and soothing agents all reduce damage. Long-term or frequent snorting can cause chronic nosebleeds, congestion, sinus infections, and breakdown of the septum — up to perforation and, in severe cases, saddle-nose deformity ("coke nose"). Cocaine is especially associated with this because it constricts blood vessels.

Watch for warning signs: frequent nosebleeds, a persistent runny or stuffy nose, recurrent sinus infections, or a whistling sound when breathing through the nose.

Overdose & dose Snorting delivers substances rapidly and bypasses digestive metabolism, so overdose can come on faster and stronger than oral use — magnified by fentanyl and other potent adulterants. Check your drugs and start low. Stimulant overamping (meth, cocaine) signs: fast heart rate or chest pain, rigid/jerking limbs, hot sweaty skin, agitation, hallucinations — help them calm, cool, and rest, and get emergency care for chest pain, seizures, unconsciousness, or stopped breathing. Naloxone reverses opioids only, but it's safe to give if an opioid is suspected or the substance is unknown. Don't use alone.

✓ Do

Keep your own marked single-use straw or tube.
Crush to a fine powder on a clean, non-porous surface.
Rotate nostrils and rinse with sterile water/saline after.
Check your drugs, start low, keep naloxone for opioids.

✕ Don't

Don't share straws, tubes, or notes — ever (HCV).
Don't use banknotes, keys, or sharp glass/metal tubes.
Don't snort coarse granules or rinse with plain tap water.
Don't keep snorting through a raw, bleeding nose.

Quick reference Your own marked single-use straw · crush to a fine powder · clean surface, not a bill · rotate nostrils · rinse with sterile water/saline · vitamin E or saline to heal · never share equipment (HCV) · check your drugs, start low · naloxone for opioids · switch to swallowing if the nose is raw.

Educational summary of established harm-reduction references — not medical advice. Contact a local harm-reduction service or medical professional when in doubt.