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Smelling salts are not banned in the NFL after all. Players just have to secure the products themselves.
Front Office Sports obtained a message that the NFL Players Association sent to players Wednesday clarifying the supposed ban on smelling salts and any form of ammonia packets.
“This policy does not prohibit players use of these substances, but rather it restricts clubs from providing or supplying them in any form,” the statement read.
The NFLPA also said that they were “not notified” of the policy change before the NFL sent out the memo to all teams Tuesday. The memo, which was also obtained by FOS, said that teams are “prohibited from providing or supplying” ammonia in any form at NFL games.
The league referred to a 2024 FDA warning that stated the “lack of evidence supporting the safety or efficacy” of ammonia inhalants like smelling salts—and that they “have the potential to mask certain neurologic signs and symptoms, including some potential signs of concussion.”
Word of the supposed ban spread after George Kittle disrupted an NFL Network interview from 49ers training camp Tuesday morning to address the league’s memo. The All-Pro tight end claimed smelling salts were “made illegal in the NFL.”
Kittle said he used smelling salts “on every drive.” He’s far from the only NFL player who uses the product, which is also used in other sports, including hockey, weightlifting, and lacrosse.
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