The "Energy Stick" has been selling well online across China recently on platforms such as Taobao. Some outlets have already sold nearly 10,000 sticks, which cost from as little as six yuan ($82 cents) to approximately 128 yuan. Photo:Screenshot from online

 Inhaler nasal stick, also billed as the "Energy Stick," is going viral. Young children in Chinese primary schools are using this product to reduce stress and help them focus on their studies. 

"Some children are likely to get addicted to it and use it like a drug," named Zhao, a Beijing-based medical expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

From the reporting video, one child from North China's Tianjin Municipality asked the store owner whether they have "Energy Stick" and added that "The more I inhale it, the more addicted I become." Some shopkeepers are doubtful about the product's benefits and have refused to stock it in their stores. 

On October 17, the sales staff of the company responded by stating that the main ingredients of the product are camphor and mint, which do not contain any addictive properties. 

The "Energy Stick" has been selling well online across China recently on platforms such as Taobao. Some outlets have already sold nearly 10,000 sticks, which cost from as little as six yuan ($82 cents) to approximately 128 yuan. 

The product contains menthol, ice chips, camphor, essential oils and other ingredients, according to the adverts on Taobao. There are also watermelon, tea and orange flavors. Some contain alcohol to attract more customers.  

Recently, there was a lottery game with a prize of an"Energy Stick" at a kiosk outside Zexu Middle School in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, according to media reports. 

The store does not sell them individually. Children can get them through the carton game. The game has a total of 80 paper holes, every payment of 1 yuan can poke a paper hole, and get the corresponding reward, the biggest prize is the "Energy Stick" "As long as poked hole shows the name of product, children could get it." the store owner noted. 

Most merchants claimed that their products are safe and do not pose a health hazard to people.

Some doctors disagree with this claim. Doctors say that if a child puts an inhaler nasal stick up their nose it may cause serious harm to the nasal mucosa. It may also cause infections of the nose, sinuses, trachea and lungs, and may even cause damage to the olfactory nerve. 

Camphor contains either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene as active ingredients. As one of the most common methods to control clothes moths, need to be recognized as a pesticide that can be harmful to humans or animals when misused, according to Tim Stock, Extension integrated pest management education specialist and director of the OSU Extension School IPM Program.

While mothballs are artificially manufactured, containing a large number of chemicals and other toxic substances, natural mothballs are non-toxic.

Zhao also noted that "It is illegal for nasal inhalers to contain the synthetic camphor ingredient."

Legally, the production and sale of food, medicines, toys, appliances and amusement games and rides for use by minors shall be in accordance with national or industry standards and shall not jeopardize children's safety and physical and mental health, Fan Xiaolin, a Beijing-based lawyer, told the Global Times.

Tianjin Consumers Association noted that parents and children should be vigilant, strictly prohibiting the "Energy Stick" from being brought to school and eliminating its sales channels. Additionally, some signboards can be installed on campuses to raise awareness among students about the hazards of inhaling it, including the risk of addiction.