Meta Investigates Luxury Brands Over Alleged Cocaine Accessory Ads on Instagram
The social media giant confirms it is reviewing accounts that sell magnet-sealed pouches and designer nasal straws, while some brands have already been removed following media scrutiny.
Meta is currently investigating a number of brand accounts on Instagram that are advertising luxury products appearing designed for cocaine use, despite the company’s strict policies against promoting drug paraphernalia. The scrutiny follows a report by WIRED, which identified advertisements for items such as magnet-sealed leather pouches and designer nasal straws from brands including Magic Items, FattyPack, Bumpskē, and Snogo. These products are marketed using coded language or comparisons to legal substances like electrolytes and cacao powder to maintain plausible deniability.
The products in question range from the 'Wildcard' pouch sold by Magic Items, priced between $60 and $100, to stainless-steel gadgets from Bumpskē and spring-loaded straws from Snogo. Marketing materials often feature visual cues linking the items to illicit drug culture, such as comparisons to dime bags or references to "snow" and "bumps." While Magic Items representatives described their Wildcard as a "multi-use bag for perishables," and Snogo stated its products are for "legal substances such as cacao," the advertising copy frequently alludes to party scenes and discreet storage for powdered substances.
Meta spokesperson Erica Sackin confirmed that the company is investigating the specific brand accounts highlighted in the report. The company stated it routinely conducts sweeps to enforce its guidelines, which prohibit the encouragement of "the consumption of illicit, recreational, or other potentially unsafe drugs, products, or supplements." This enforcement action has already resulted in the removal of Instagram accounts for some of the brands mentioned, including Bumpskē and Snogo, after WIRED contacted Meta for comment.
The trend of rebranding drug accessories on social media contrasts with the mainstream legalisation of substances like cannabis, which has been marketed through high-end retail experiences. However, cocaine-related products have largely avoided a similar tech-fuelled makeover until recently. The current wave of advertising includes items such as the SLYD pouch, which features a magnetic clasp and is marketed with captions urging users to stop using "sketchy bags" for electrolytes, and Snogo’s necklaces that function as both carrying cases and straws.
Beyond physical accessories, the investigation has also flagged brands selling post-party recovery drinks. Soft Landings, which markets beverages for "recovery," has faced scrutiny for vague references to drug use and slang such as "molly" and "bender." A company spokeswoman previously referenced MDMA in an Instagram video, describing the drug as draining the brain’s battery. While Soft Landings requested that WIRED not include their product in the article, the incident highlights the broader challenges Meta faces in moderating content that walks the line between legal marketing and illicit promotion.
