French customs authorities are raising the alarm about an illegal substance flooding the country in record quantities: "erectile honey".

Packaged as convenient sticks or shots, the substance contains a mix of honey and Viagra-like medicine and is sold on the black market in certain night shops for a few euros each.

The honey is sold "for consumption that is intended to be 'festive,' but is above all dangerous," France’s customs agency said.

That’s because the honey sticks often contain sildenafil or tadalafil, which are prescribed for erectile dysfunction but can cause side effects when combined with alcohol or other drugs, such as blood pressure medicines.

The sticks "may seem harmless to them or even, in the case of honey, trustworthy, but can be dangerous to their health and safety," customs officials said.

Record customs seizure

Despite the health risks, erectile honey’s popularity appears to have taken off in recent years. French authorities made 131 seizures in 2023, up from 18 cases in 2019.

The latest bust was a new record: about 860,000 sticks, or 13 tonnes, of erectile honey. In weight, that’s equivalent to a London double-decker bus.