A new trend of drinking rhino horn powder has emerged in Vietnam’s uber rich circles.

While rhino horns are banned from Vietnam, they are still trafficked into the country and sold on the black market.

A recent feature by the American magazine The Atlantic heard anecdotal stories of Vietnam’s new rich mixing rhino horn powder with alcohol, water or cocaine.

Researchers into the practice told The Atlantic that consumers used rhino horn to prevent alcohol hangovers.

A survey into rhino horn consumption conducted by a non-profit organisation in Vietnam called Traffic, found that some men used rhino horn to aid them through consecutive nights of drinking with work clients.

The same study identified the four main groups driving demand for Rhino horn in Vietnam.

These groups include those who believe the horn can cure cancer, young mothers treating feverish children, and rich businessmen gifting horns to gain influence.

Vietnam is the largest consumer of rhino horns in the world, fuelling a poaching crisis in South Africa.

In 2014 the Vietnamese government committed itself to tackling the crime, but progress has been slow.