What are "poppers," and why are they dangerous?

Poppers, or nitrate inhalants, first surfaced as a popular recreational high in the 1960's. They became extremely popular in the 1970's and 1980's, and continue to be used today. These inhalants were created in the 1800's, and originally used for angina and cyanide poisoning. Nitrates act as a muscle relaxer. They give the user a "buzz" and can facilitate anal sex. Amyl nitrite is in a small mesh-covered glass container that is popped or snapped to release the vapors. Butyl nitrate is sold in small bottles but has a similar effect to amyl nitrite. This is cheap and relatively easy to obtain. However, nitrate chemicals are highly toxic and cause many health problems, such as severe headaches that do not go away, severe vomiting, people go into seizure, and some die instantly. Poppers have always been heavily marketed to gay men and as a result, many gay men became ill. Kaposi's Sarcoma, a skin cancer, is very common in men who used these toxic chemicals over extended periods of time. Certain types of pneumonia have also been attributed to the abuse of "poppers." Throughout the years, nitrate inhalants have been sold as leather cleaner, room odorizer or deodorizer, liquid incense, and video head cleaner, among other guises. Because these products are not drugs or food, the US government and other governments have little control over their sale. Many of the first cases of AIDS were probably people who abused poppers.

People who use Viagra are at special risk of death if they use "poppers."

Please don't use these products! They truly are deadly. For thousands of years, people have enjoyed having sex without having to use these kinds of drugs.

Here's a story about poppers, but from a very biased source: Be aware that the San Francisco Chronicle is one of the newspapers that helped create AIDS hysteria, with headlines like, "Gay disease kills baby," and other rubbish. From Oct. 25, 2001.

Finally there's a warning about poppers from San Francisco's local officials, 20-plus years too late. But why are these dangerous items still available for sale everywhere?

From Health Education AIDS Liaison, Toronto:

Author claims use of poppers led to AIDS

FAB, Ontario's Gay Scene Magazine # 150 Oct. 26 - Nov 8, 2000

Poppers - not HIV - are the cause of AIDS in North America, according to Marvin R. Kitzerow, author of The AIDS Indictment.
Kitzerow claims that prolonged use of nitrate inhalants (poppers) predisposed almost all of the first victims of AIDS and he blames the US Center for Disease Control for not alerting the world of the "nitrate inhalant epidemic."

John Lauritsen - "Bibliography of Poppers"

John Lauritsen is author of "The AIDS War."

Nitrates and nitrites are a major constituent of fertilizers!

The makers of some of these poppers also manufacture HIV medications.

From the National Institute on Drug Abuse:
What are the special risks for nitrite abusers?

Nitrites are abused mainly by older adolescents and adults. Typically, individuals who abuse nitrites are seeking to enhance sexual function and pleasure. Research shows that abuse of these drugs in this context is associated with unsafe sexual practices that greatly increase the risk of contracting and spreading such infectious diseases as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

Animal research raises the possibility that there may be a link between abuse of nitrite inhalants and the development and progression of infectious diseases and tumors. The research indicates that inhaling nitrites depletes many cells in the immune system and impairs immune system mechanisms that fight infectious diseases. A recent study found that even a relatively small number of exposures to butyl nitrite can produce dramatic increases in tumor incidence and growth rates in animals.