The NFL has announced that, starting in the 2025 season, teams are banned from supplying players with smelling salts—commonly known as ammonia inhalants—on the sidelines or in team facilities. This decision aligns with a recent FDA warning highlighting the lack of proven safety and effectiveness for these products and their potential to mask concussion symptoms.

Why Did the NFL Ban Smelling Salts?

  • FDA Warning: In 2024, the FDA cautioned against ammonia inhalants due to unsubstantiated claims of energy and mental alertness benefits and possible risks like respiratory issues or masking brain injuries.

  • Concussion Safety: Smelling salts may hide concussion symptoms, complicating proper diagnosis and player safety during games.

  • League Liability: The NFL aims to avoid further legal challenges related to player health and brain injuries.

What Are the New Smelling Salt Rules?

  • Team Use Banned: NFL teams may no longer distribute or supply smelling salts to players.

  • Personal Use Allowed: Individual players can still bring and use their own smelling salts, similar to over-the-counter medications, but not with team assistance.

Reactions from NFL Players

  • Player Response: 49ers star George Kittle publicly joked about “considering retirement” after the ban, showing how ingrained the practice is among NFL athletes.

Sports injury expert Dr. David Chao's Insights

  • Medical Insight: Dr. David Chao - Pro Football Doc - supports the move for safety reasons, stressing that while smelling salts provide a short-lived psychological boost, they do not enhance focus or athletic performance and should not be used to mask concussions.

  • What Are Ammonia Inhalants? Dr. Chao explained that smelling salts are chemically simple "poppers" that are easy to purchase over-the-counter and have been widely used by athletes to provide a quick jolt of alertness.

  • Why did the FDA and NFL Act? He elaborated that the FDA’s main concern is the false marketing of these products for improved focus without adequate safety or efficacy data, as well as their ability to mask signs of concussion—a major liability issue for the NFL. He supported the move, especially in light of past and ongoing concussion-related lawsuits.

  • Player Use vs. Team Distribution: Dr. Chao noted that while teams must now stop distributing these products, players can still obtain and use them individually if they choose, much like over-the-counter painkillers (Tylenol, Advil). However, he cautioned that using smelling salts to mask legitimate symptoms, especially of concussion, is dangerous and should be discouraged.

  • Old-School Player Rituals: He shared anecdotes of alternative pregame rituals, including players asking to be slapped in the face for a similar "wake-up call"—a practice he considers even less desirable than ammonia inhalants.

  • Bottom Line: Dr. Chao believes the ban is a sensible, risk-minimizing move for the league, aligning the NFL with the FDA’s public health stance. He emphasized that while smelling salts may offer a brief psychological "kick," they do not provide sustained clarity or energy and should never be used to hide symptoms of brain injury.

Conclusion

The NFL smelling salts ban is all about player safety and legal responsibility. While players can use the products privately, teams cannot provide them, reflecting growing attention to concussion protocol and player health.

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