Poppers

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Poppers

A selection of over-the-counter poppers on display
Clinical data
Other names	popper, poppe
Routes of administration	Inhalation
Drug class	Vasodilator
Legal status
Legal status	Usually available OTC
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	When inhaled, Amyl nitrite: unknown Isopropyl nitrite: 43% Isobutyl nitrite: unknown
Metabolism	Liver
Metabolites	Amyl nitrite: pentanol (amyl alcohol) Isopropyl nitrite: isopropanol Isobutyl nitrite: isobutanol
Onset of action	15 seconds
Elimination half-life	Suspected to be minutes to less than an hour
Duration of action	30 seconds to 5 minutes
Excretion	Primarily urine
Chemical and physical data
Formula	Depends on primary active ingredient
Molar mass	Depends on primary active ingredient
Boiling point	Depends on primary active ingredient

Poppers (or popper) is a slang term referring to recreational drugs belonging to the alkyl nitrite family of chemical compounds. When fumes from these substances are inhaled, they act as potent vasodilators, producing mild euphoria, warmth, and dizziness. Most effects have a rapid onset and are short-acting.^[1] Its recreational use is believed to be potentially dangerous for people with heart problems, anaemia, or glaucoma. Reported adverse effects include fainting, retinal toxicity, and vision loss.^[2][3]

As poppers include a broad range of chemical types, their legality differs across different jurisdictions. They are often packaged under the guise of room deodorizer, leather polish, nail polish remover, or videotape head cleaner to evade anti-drug laws.^[1]

The term poppers stems from the "popping" sound of glass vials containing the substance when crushed to release vapour for inhalation. Amyl nitrite, a chemical analogue of alkyl nitrite, was originally prescribed in the late 1800s for the medical management of angina.^[1] Many analogues exist, such as isoamyl nitrite, isopentyl nitrite, isopropyl nitrite, and isobutyl nitrite. These substances are subject to different regulations; for example, isobutyl nitrite is banned in the European Union.

Poppers act as muscle relaxants, causing the relaxation of involuntary smooth muscles such as the throat and anus.^[4][5] Such physiological effects, along with others (such as mild euphoria), have resulted in poppers being used as recreational drugs, sometimes during sexual intercourse (known colloquially as chemsex), as the effects can heighten arousal and help facilitate acts such as anal intercourse.^[6] It has been reported that poppers were a part of the club culture which began during the mid-1970s disco scene, and surged in popularity during the rave scene of the 1980s and 1990s.^[7][8]