On an evening like any other, I was outside a bar, getting ready for my stand-up act. Beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other, I stepped out with my friends for a smoke, when one of them immediately pulled out a bottle of amyl nitrite—more famously known as poppers in the gay party scene—from his bag. While my hetero smoking buddies were curious, I knew far too well what he was holding. As he uncapped the bottle and sniffed in the strong, yellow, pungent fumes emanating from inside, I was tempted to partake. And so I did.

Is amyl nitrite safe?



This Drug Gave Me Mind-Blowing Sex but Then Ruined My Life
Poppers are a liquid drug that can give an instant high when inhaled. Other names for it are amyl nitrate, butyl nitrite, and liquid gold. The effects of poppers appear quickly and include dizziness, warm sensations, an increased heart rate, and headaches. Poppers have a widespread recreational use. The drug can cause euphoric effects and act as a sex enhancer by relaxing the anal muscles. Poppers are sometimes marketed as room deodorizers or leather cleaners, although people rarely use them for these purposes. Although intense, most of the euphoric effects wear off quickly, typically within a few seconds or minutes.


What Are Poppers?
Stefanie Vaccher does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. New regulations come into place this month that allow the sale of amyl nitrite , known as poppers, in Australian pharmacies. Amyl nitrite and the broader class of drugs it belongs to, alkyl nitrites, were previously illegal in Australia. Poppers are inhaled, giving a short buzz and mild head-rush because they relax muscles and blood vessels. They relax the anal sphincter muscles, allowing for easier sex.

Poppers is a common slang term for a range of chemical psychoactive drugs called alkyl nitrites, and in particular, the inhalant drug amyl nitrite. 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 misspelled as amil nitrate. Poppers are also known as liquid gold, butyl nitrite, heart medicine, and room deodorizer.