There's a bizarre yet legal drug that locals go crazy for during Oktoberfest

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Bavarian man snorting wiesn koks fake cocaine

AP/Klaus Haag

Wiesn Koks is increasingly becoming a traditional part of Oktoberfest.

Q: What's white, a powder, and snorted at Oktoberfest?

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A: Wiesn Koks, aka Oktoberfest cocaine.

Despite being famous for beer being guzzled by the liter, increasingly locals can be seen snorting a white substance from tables all over tents - and it's entirely legal. Wiesn Koks (Oktoberfest cocaine), which is also known as Wiesn Pulver (powder), or Bavarian cocaine, has become locals' pick-me-up of choice.

Essentially like snuff, Wiesn koks is made of glucose and menthol and is sold in little glass bottles or Bavarian-themed containers for around $6.

You may have read about giant mugs and Lederhosen in your guidebook, but you won't find Wiesn Koks in there.

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Wiesn koks fake oktoberfest cocaine

Sophie-Claire Hoeller/INSIDER

The powder is cut into lines on beer tables, or, since those are usually covered in sticky beer, tapped out onto the back of hands, to be snorted through nostrils.

Despite looking like the real deal, Wiesn Koks is harmless. Sure, you get a small sugar rush when it hits, and the menthol has a cooling, sinus-clearing effect, but that's about it. Wiesn Koks is entirely drug and tobacco free.

That said, it's all about moderation: Snuff too much and you might get yourself a bloody nose.

Despite being completely harmless, tent owners and security personnel have been trying to crack down on the tradition for years. However, locals refuse to give up this bit of culture, because that's really what it is: A cultural, seasonal tradition that basks in revelry and camaraderie.

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