You've probably seen a fair share of NFL players hold up small bits of smelling salts up to their noses mid-game. But why?

Smelling salts trigger a deep breath that wakes people up. There’s no strong evidence that smelling salts directly improve athletic performance. No study has associated long-term risks with the use of ...

The NFL sent out a memo stating safety concerns over smelling salts. The sideline staple has trickled down to youth sports. Experts explain the hidden dangers. Fact checked by Sarah Scott Taylor Swift ...

In August, the NFL decided that coaches and teams are no longer allowed to provide players with smelling salts. “This was a step that we felt that we needed to take as a league to make sure that our ...

NFL players may soon have a harder time getting a quick jolt of alertness on the field. On Tuesday, the NFL sent a memo to clubs saying they are no longer allowed to provide the substance to players, ...

Smelling salts aren’t going anywhere. After it was reported Tuesday that the NFL was banning salts ahead of the 2025-26 season, the NFL Players Association offered some additional clarification on the ...

George Kittle brought the jokes and aired his “grievances” while in a surprise guest spot on the NFL Network on Tuesday. The San Francisco 49ers tight end popped into the frame during the outlet’s ...

NFL players will be allowed to use "smelling salts" during games after all. The NFLPA sent a memo to players on Wednesday saying that the ban that the league informed teams about on Tuesday only ...

Michal Ruprecht is the AAAS Mass Media Fellow on NPR's Science Desk, where he covers global health. He is a fourth-year medical student at Wayne State University School of Medicine and the incoming ...