Recently there has been talk of changing the laws on poppers, rescheduling them as a serious illicit drug and criminalizing their possession.
But banning them would criminalise the normal sexual practice of many thousands of gay men. Thankfully, a public outcry has prompted a reconsideration.
So, what’s all the fuss about? Poppers are a group of chemicals called alkyl nitrites, the best-known being amyl nitrite.
Originally sold as medicine for angina (chest pain from heart disease) it came in a single use glass vial that had to be crushed or “popped” open in order to inhale the fumes, hence the name poppers.
The drug causes smooth muscles in the body to relax – including the muscles in the anal sphincter – and cause blood vessels to dilate.
The muscle relaxation allows increased comfort during anal sex and produces a brief euphoric head rush. They became popular as sex enhancers and club drugs and have been sold for many years under various euphemisms such as DVD cleaners or room deodorizers.
The TGA claimed using nitrites for muscle relaxation during anal intercourse is misuse of the drug, however one could argue that it’s pretty sex-phobic (and homophobic) to consider it misuse to use a substance to enhance anal sex.
It’s also fair to say that the muscle relaxing effect is a benefit rather than a risk, as it helps prevent anal trauma and pain.