THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF AMYL NITRITE/BUTYL NITRITE

AKA: poppers, amyl

Price: �5 to �10 a bottle

Form: liquid sold in small bottles; the cap is taken off and the aroma is 
inhaled either through the mouth or, more common, the nose. You can also 
dip cigarettes in the liquid, dry them over a candle, and smoke them for 
added impact. It is believed that the MP Steven Milligan, who died with a 
bin bag over his head and an orange in his mouth, had soaked the fruit in 
amyl beforehand.

Duration of high: up to three minutes.

Legal status: a grey area. While not strictly legal, there have been no 
successful prosecutions for selling nitrites because it is not specifically 
covered by the drug laws. Police tried a test case under the 1861 Offences 
Against the Person Act, but failed.

History: amyl nitrite was discovered in 1857 and in 1867 was used as 
treatment for angina as it relieves pressure by opening the vessels 
delivering blood to the heart. It is still sometimes used for this purpose. 
Most 'amyl' now sold in the UK is the less powerful butyl nitrite.

Highs: a light-headed feeling, a sense of being slightly disconnected� from 
the world. It is a muscle relaxant so is often used by gay men having anal 
sex.However, its use on the dancefloors of gay clubs has diminished because 
of its '70s cloney image, worries about side-effects and also because it 
has been superseded by more powerful drugs such as Ecstasy: although some 
people combine amyl and Ecstasy in the same night. Can also make you 
giggle.

Lows: can cause headaches and vomiting and should never be used by people 
who have low blood pressure, anaemia or heart problems. It can also 
irritate sensitive skin and 'burn' if any of the liquid accidentally drips 
into the nostrils. There have been several deaths associated with poppers 
but in all cases the victims had drunk the liquid or had heart problems. 
There have also been persistent stories linking poppers with the onset of 
the cancer Kaposi's sarcoma in HIV-positive gay men. This is because some 
of the metabolised by-products of nitrites are carcinogenic and also 
because, like many drugs, they suppress the immune system. This link has 
not been properly proved. Poppers also smell worse than sitting next to a 
farty old tramp.

Tips: if you are a first-time user, consider whether you just might have 
low blood pressure before you start sniffing away.

From the magazine TimeOut No. 1239 May 18-25 1994

Typed by Dr. Benway