The use of drugs can be quite liberal in some movies and done to excess, but it often makes audiences wonder what actors are snorting in movies when it is meant to be cocaine. There was a time in Hollywood where drug use of any kind could be seen as strictly prohibited, but as censors relaxed, such activities became more common and even expected in certain kinds of films. Cocaine use in movies is especially visceral, with the violent snorting of the narcotics often showcasing characters who are losing control or succumbing to drug addiction.

However, considering that the actors on screen are actually snorting some white powder into their noses in these scenes, it leads to a lot of questions about how this is achieved. While some actors like to become immersed in characters to startling degrees, obviously, real cocaine is not used on these film sets. In order to pull off these scenes, it was necessary to find something that could be safely snorted by these actors while also looking like the real thing.

Actors Snort Inositol (Vitamin B) In Cocaine Scenes

The Powdered Substance Is Safe For Ingestion

While there have been different tactics used for such scenes over the years, the main product used in cocaine scenes in movies is inositol, which is vitamin B in powdered form. The aim for proper use in these scenes is to rely on something that does not have any health risks and will not cause a burning sensation in the nose when snorted.

The Independent interviewed a veteran pro master in the business, Jeff Butcher, who confirmed that vitamin B is one of the most commonly used subsтιтutes for fake cocaine in movie scenes. However, while vitamin B is not hazardous to the actors, Butcher did point out that it can cause “a slight energy lift.” Butcher pointed out that this took actor Mickey Rourke by surprise when he snorted some of the vitamin B while filming The Wrestler:

“He was like, ‘I have anxiety issues—now you tell me?’ He was truly upset. But he was okay a couple minutes later.”

While vitamin B is used for scenes where actors are snorting the drugs, other materials, like powdered milk and baking soda, are used in other scenes. This includes the giant mounds of cocaine seen on the desk of Tony Montana in Scarface. However, such substances wouldn’t be advisable to snort.

How Safe Snorting Fake Cocaine Actually Is

Actors Like Al Pacino And Jonah Hill Experienced Health Issues From Fake Movie Cocaine

While snorting vitamin B is a safer (and legal) way of simulating cocaine use in movies, that is not to say that it doesn’t come with its own risks. While it is still a widely used practice and generally seen as safe, there have been instances in which actors have felt more serious effects of the practice. This includes Jonah Hill, who had to do a lot of fake cocaine while working on Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street.

Hill acknowledged that the excessive use of cocaine depicted in the movie meant he was snorting a lot of powdered vitamins. While that didn’t cause any harm, accidentally inhaling the powder into his lungs in some scenes ended with him being hospitalized and battling bronchitis.

If there is one movie that can compete with The Wolf of Wall Street in terms of cocaine use, it is Scarface. Star Al Pacino is seen consuming plenty of fake cocaine in the movie, but unfortunately, this came at a time before vitamin B was widely used as a prop on movie sets, and Pacino ended up snorting powdered baby laxative instead. While there were no serious health concerns as a result, Pacino snorted so much over the course of the movie that he suffered permanent damage to his nasal pᴀssage (via Collider).