The British government has introduced legislation to make amyl nitrates - better known to some as poppers - illegal.

 

The law will likely be passed before the New Year, and will make illegal the sale of “psychoactive substances,” with those who break the law facing up to seven years in prison.

 

Of course, poppers are not the only substances being target. Also on the list of soon to be banned agents: laughing gas, salvia and  bath salts. Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine will remain exempt from the new law.

 

Gay groups Stonewall, MPG, and the National AIDS Trust all approached Home Office Minister Mike Penning to request that poppers also be exempted from the Psychoactive Substances Bill. The groups argued that poppers were “neither seriously harmful nor even psychoactive.”

 

“It was clear from the meeting that despite the concerns of the gay community, and lack of evidence that poppers really cause any more harm than alcohol consumption, the Home Office are determined to press ahead with a blanket ban that intends to pull in poppers," Simon Topham, Chief Executive of MPG, said.

 

A recent Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs [ACMD] report argued that amyl nitrates were “not seen to be capable of having harmful effects sufficient to constitute a societal problem. Therefore we recommend they should not be banned. If in the future there is any evidence produced to the contrary, then ‘poppers’ should be removed from the exempted list or controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act.”

 

Minister Penning, however, seemed to indicate the ban would stand.

 

Poppers, as you know, are used to boost sexual experiences with a short-lived head rush, enhanced touch sensations and relaxed muscles (making anal sex easier).

 

Of course, poppers are not without their risk and, if taken, need to be handled with care. The use of poppers after taking drugs such as Viagra can cause blood pressure to drop to dangerous, potentially fatal, levels. People with heart and blood pressure issues should also avoid amyl nitrates. There has been rare cases which link overuse of poppers (with the active ingredient isobutyl nitrite) may cause serious eye damage. 

 

Poppers were banned in Canada in 2013. Can the US be far behind?

 

If you sell poppers in the UK after Christmas, you could go to jail for seven years [Gay Star News]