I would've thought that inhaling soda through the nose stings:
Nasa Indians in southwestern Colombian have launched a soft drink made from coca leaves, a staple among indigenous Colombians for centuries and the main ingredient in cocaine. The amber-colored soda, its promoters say, offers a home-grown alternative to Coca-Cola.
"People associate coca with cocaine. We wanted to convince people that coca is not the same as the drug and to allow indigenous people to be proud of the leaf," says David Curtidor, who leads the project. . . .
The new soft drink, Coca-Sek, means "Coca of the Sun" in the Nasa language. "It's a comforting drink for us, and it would be good if we sold less Coca-Cola and more of our own coca drink," says MarÃa Inés Iquinas, a Nasa Indian, reached by telephone in the Calderas reserve. The makers say that the cocaine alkaloid level inthe carbonated drinks is less than half of one percent. They say the drink is a stimulant, with the same strength as a cup of coffee.
Initially, Coca-Sek distribution will be limited to Indian communities. Eventually, Mr. Curtidor wants to distribute it to Colombia's larger cities. But selling Coca-Sek abroad will be difficult. Coca is on a UN list of dangerous substances - international commerce in the leaf and its products is strictly limited.
