George Kittle can sleep easier this season knowing that his beloved smelling salts aren’t going anywhere – as long as he supplies them during the 2025 season.
The NFL has banned teams from giving players smelling salts or ammonia capsules starting this year. But according to the players’ union, they can still use the products on the sidelines. It will have to be from their own supply or a teammate’s, however, since the clubs are no longer allowed to dole them out.
What does the ban really mean? And what does this mean in terms of player safety?
Why did NFL ban smelling salts and ammonia capsules?
In a memo obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the NFL made its change due to “the lack of evidence supporting the safety or efficacy of (ammonia inhalants) marketed for improving mental alertness or boosting energy.”
“Ammonia” refers to ammonia capsules, inhalers, ammonia in a cup, and any form of “smelling salts,” per the memo. The ban pertains to all club personnel, including the training staff and coaches.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the use of smelling salts can mask the pains and symptoms of injuries. Sniffing the irritant creates a rush of adrenaline in the body. In the NFL world, smelling salts or another ammonia-related products are used to hype up the brain and body. It could also make diagnosing a head injury or concussion more difficult.
NFL Players’ Association clarifies smelling salts, ammonia ban
The NFLPA said the league did not inform the union of the policy change prior to the memo’s release. The union clarified that the memo did not mean the players could no longer use the substances. Rather, they are on their own for making sure they are there on the sidelines during games and practices.
“It restricts clubs from providing or supplying them in any form,” the union said in a memo to members obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
The products are not addictive and can’t cause long-term health damage, according to the Cleveland Clinic. But “conditioning your body to rely on an external stimulus to go on with your day or to pump yourself up can be a slippery slope toward testing out addictive substances.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL players can use smelling salts, as ammonia ban is for teams only
