Should poppers be regulated? New report suggests maybe it’s time
Poppers have been a longtime LGBTQ+ staple since hitting the dance floor in the 1960s. However, legalities around the inhalant have meant our euphoric hits of amyl nitrites came via hyper-colored bottles marketed as nail polish remover. (Or VCR cleaner, or liquid incense, or air fresheners — you get the idea.)Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.The lack of regulation has meant the rise of brands like Rush and Jungle Juice and a Troye Sivan bop to boot, but a new report from Uncloseted Media suggests that maybe they shouldn’t be flowing so freely.Because today’s poppers — often sold at gas stations, smoke shops, or online — are not regulated, they’re often “packed with other solvents” like acetone and paint thinners which can have “serious health implications.”“There are different manufacturers creating different products under different names and using different chemical ingredients and solvents,” Perry Halkitis, dean at the School of Public Health at Rutgers University, said.“The minute the manufacturing and distribution of drugs becomes non-regulated, then you get the situation you’re in.”Poppers is galaxy gas for gay guysHalkitis’ views mostly echo the Food and Drug Administration’s 2021 warning against poppers, which accused manufacturers of labeling the product in misleading ways that tricked consumers into thinking they’re “safe or intended to be inhaled or ingested by drinking.”(Apparently, drinking has become a big enough problem that the FDA specifically called out bottles packaged like “energy shots/drinks.”Overall, the FDA explained that “these chemicals can be caustic and damage the skin or other tissues they come in contact with, cause difficulty breathing, extreme drops in blood pressure, decreases in blood oxygen levels, seizures, heart arrhythmia, coma, and death.”Yikes.Boy Smells released a candle inspired by poppers.
