Poppers? What are poppers?

Quick Facts About Poppers

The most common type of poppers inhalant is amyl nitrite. It is often confused with amyl nitrate, which is, in fact, a different chemical with a similar name, often misspelt as amil nitrate. Poppers are also known as liquid gold, butyl nitrite, heart medicine, and room deodorizer. It probably goes without saying that you should never try to treat a real or imagined heart problem with poppers, unless prescribed by a physician, and you should never leave an open bottle of poppers in a room, whether or not you hope to deodorize it. It would not be an effective deodorizer, and could be harmful.The term first began being used for these drugs in the 1960s, when amyl nitrite, which was then used as a heart medicine, was sold in capsules that were cracked, or "popped," to release the chemical.

What does it look like?

Poppers are a liquid chemical (alkyl nitrites), sold in small bottles with brand names like Liquid Gold and Bang Aroma. Nitrates were once used to treat angina (chest pains) and came in small glass capsules that were popped open and sniffed, hence the name poppers. They are often sold as ‘room aromas’, ‘deodorisers’ and ‘leather cleaners’, but they’re not actually used in this way. They can be found in sex shops, clubs, market stalls and online. 

What does it taste/smell like?

Poppers have a very strong solvent smell. You shouldn’t taste poppers, swallowing them is very dangerous. 
People have died from drinking poppers.

How Are Poppers Used?

Although rarely used for heart problems today, amyl nitrite is still used to treat cyanide poisoning. Poppers are widely used as recreational drugs, especially on the gay scene, and are typically taken as fumes inhaled directly from small bottles. Poppers are cheap and easy to acquire, often sold as a room deodorizer or as sex enhancers in sex shops, although their use carries significant risks.With brief, intense effects lasting from just a few seconds to a few minutes, poppers are often used as an adjunct to other designer drugs, such as acid (LSD) and ecstasy. This type of use is not necessarily associated with sex but rather with the desire for an immediate "rush" or sensation of intense relaxation, dizziness, euphoria, mood elevation, and intoxication.

What Are the Effects of Poppers?

Poppers work very quickly, producing an almost instant high or "rush" of warm sensations and feelings of dizziness, similar to sensations of extreme alcohol intoxication. The effects come on very quickly after inhaling the drug, but unlike drugs such as alcohol, only last for seconds or minutes. While some people find the effects of poppers pleasurable, others find it extremely disorienting and unpleasant.

Poppers are vasodilators, meaning that they dilate the blood vessels. As a result, blood pressure drops rapidly, leading to lightheadedness, sometimes resulting in a brief loss of consciousness and muscle strength, known as syncope. At the same time the heart speeds up, even if the person using poppers is relaxed, known as tachycardia.

Another effect of these drugs is relaxation of the anal sphincter. For this reason, poppers are sometimes used to facilitate anal sex. In addition, some users find that using poppers during sex increases sexual sensations and intensifies orgasm.

Side Effects of Poppers

Several negative effects of poppers have been identified. These include crusty, yellow skin lesions around areas exposed to poppers, such as the nose, mouth, lips, and face. These can be misdiagnosed as impetigoor severe seborrheic dermatitis These skin problems usually heal up within seven to 10 days of stopping use of poppers. Poppers are also quite irritating and can cause sinusitis. They can also trigger allergic reactions accompanied by wheezing and breathing difficulties. As poppers can be scented, allergic reactions can also be triggered by inhaling the perfumes in poppers.
 
Headaches, which can range from mild to severe, are also common as a result of dilation of blood vessels in the brain. Poppers can also increase the fluid pressure in the eyes, known as intraocular pressure, which may be problematic to people who are at risk of glaucoma. But there is more. For many decades, users have reported that poppers:

● Help you lose any inhibitions, make you act in a more relaxed way
● Intensify current emotions and experience 
● Subjectively prolong the time, or even make time "stand still" for a while 
● Intensify the perception of light and sound 
● Make your environment and everything within it appear brighter, happier, bolder - more substantial even

Yes, poppers are all about intensity. They will intensify your environment, and any activity currently performed - be it a sexual act, a night out or even skydiving (yup, some skydivers do take a sniff for to get that extra thrill out of the experience).

Are poppers safe?

Don't mix poppers with erectile dysfunction medication, such as sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis). This can increase the risk of cardiovascular complications, which can be fatal. Mixing poppers with alcohol is also unsafe and can result in a dangerous drop in blood pressure. In addition, alcohol can increase the risk of adverse effects such as dizziness and lightheadedness.

Safety record

Poppers are not physically addictive because nitrites leave the body quickly, well before there is any chance of developing a dependency, so you can indulge pretty much as often as you like. That said, if you overdo it, you might experience:

● Headache.
● Bleeding nose.
● Dizziness.

If any of that happens, open a window wide and take a deep breath. The side effects rarely last more than five minutes.
The last thing to note is that poppers do impair your judgment. Euphoria is the word, and you may well end up doing stuff you wouldn't otherwise do including risky sex so do yourself a favor and slap on that rubber before you take the first sniff.

* Poppers can seem like a safe, cheap, and easy buzz, with its ease of access and short term effects. However, like other psychoactive drugs, it can be harmful. The safest choice is to avoid poppers altogether and when it comes to sex, don't forget to use condoms.