©http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppers
'''Poppers''' is the [[street term]] for various [[alkyl nitrites]] taken for recreational purposes through direct [[inhalant|inhalation]]{{cite web | last=Nickerson | first=Mark, et al | date=[[1979-01-10]] | accessdate=2008-03-25 | title=ISOBUTYL NITRITE and Related Compounds| publisher=[[Pharmex, Ltd, San Francisco]] | format=[[PDF]] | url=http://www.virusmythpoppersmyth.org/isobutyl_nitrite_and_rela/}}, particularly [[amyl nitrite]], [[butyl nitrite]] and [[isobutyl nitrite]].{{cite web | title=Poppers | work=[[FRANK (drugs)|Frank]] | url=http://www.talktofrank.com/drugs.aspx?id=198 | accessdate=2007-03-14}}{{cite web | title=Poppers: The effects, the risks, the law | work=[[TheSite.org]] | publisher=YouthNet UK | url=http://www.thesite.org/drinkanddrugs/drugsafety/drugsatoz/poppers | accessdate=2007-03-14}} Amyl nitrite has a centuries-long history of use in treating [[Angina pectoris|angina]],{{cite web | last=Galson | first=Steven K. | date=[[2006-01-10]] | accessdate=2007-04-29 | title=Letter to Gerald Austen Re Docket No. 2004P-0411/CP1 | publisher=[[Food and Drug Administration]] | format=[[PDF]] | url=http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/DOCKETS/dockets/04p0411/04p-0411-pdn0001-vol3.pdf}} as well as an [[antidote]] to [[cyanide poisoning]]."Cyanide Poisoning; Antidotal therapy: Amyl Nitrite." Manbir Online 'Diseases & Conditions. Manbir Online. 17 Jun 2007[http://manbir-online.com/diseases/cyanide.htm] {{cite web | title=Amyl Nitrite | work=Medsafe | publisher=New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority | date=[[2000-05-18]] | url=http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Profs/datasheet/a/Amylnitrateinh.htm | accessdate=2007-03-15}} Amyl nitrite and several other alkyl nitrites which are used in over-the-counter products, such as [[air freshener]]s and [[video head cleaner]]s, may be inhaled to enhance sexual pleasure.{{cite encyclopedia | url=http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec15/ch198/ch198m.html#sec15-ch198-ch198m-400 | title=Volatile Nitrites | accessdate=2007-03-16 | year=2005 | month=November | encyclopedia=[[The Merck Manual Online]] | publisher=[[Merck & Co.]]| editor=Porter, Robert S., et al.}} Use is particularly prominent among homosexual urban men. These products have long been part of the club culture from the 1970s [[disco]] scene to the 1980s and 1990s [[rave]] scene.{{cite web | url=http://www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/ds_results.asp?file=%5Cwip%5C11%5C1%5C1%5Cnitrites.html | title=Nitrites | accessdate=2007-04-24 | work=Drugscope}}
==Effects==
Inhaling nitrites relaxes [[smooth muscles]] throughout the body, including the [[sphincter]] muscles of the [[anus]] and the [[vagina]]. This causes the [[blood vessel]]s to dilate (which causes a sudden drop in [[blood pressure]]), increases [[heart rate]], and produces a sensation of heat and excitement that usually lasts for a couple of minutes.{{cite web | url=http://www.drugs.com/ppa/amyl-nitrite.html | title=?}}
Alkyl nitrites are often used as a [[club drug]] or to enhance a sexual experience. The [[head rush]], [[Euphoria (emotion)|euphoria]], uncontrollable laughter or giggling, and other sensations that result from the blood pressure drop are often felt to increase [[sexual arousal]] and desire. At the same time, the relaxation of the sphincters of the anus and vagina can make penetration easier. {{cite web | title=Reds Room Odouriser | publisher=[[Ann Summers]] | url=http://www.annsummers.com/single.asp?gid=7&cat=17&pid=3358 | accessdate = 2007-03-15}} It is widely reported that poppers can enhance and prolong orgasms.
While anecdotal evidence reveals that both men and women can find the experience of using poppers pleasurable, this experience is not universal.E.M. Brecher, while stating that he personally found amyl nitrite sexually unrewarding, quoted a lady friend as follows: "For me, an orgasm is like a hippopotamus. But with amyl nitrite, it is like a whole herd of hippopotami." E. M. Brecher and the Editors of Consumer Reports, Licit and Illicit Drugs (Little) 1972 Some men report that poppers can cause short-term erectile problems.
==History==
{{Infobox Scientist |name =Sir Lauder Brunton,
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|known_for = Treatment of [[angina pectoris]]
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Amyl nitrite has a long history of use in treating angina, as well as an antidote to cyanide poisoning.
Amyl nitrite leads to a non-specific relaxation of smooth muscle, resulting in coronary vasodilation and decreased systemic vascular resistance and left ventricular preload and afterload.
'''Sir Thomas Lauder Brunton,''' ([[14 March]] [[1844]], [[16 September]] [[1916]]) a Scottish physician, is famously-associated with the use of [[amyl nitrite]] to treat [[angina pectoris]].
Brunton's clinical use of [[amyl nitrite]] to treat [[Angina pectoris|angina]] was inspired by earlier work with the same reagent by [[Arthur Gamgee]] and [[Benjamin Ward Richardson]]. Brunton reasoned that the pain and discomfort of angina could be reduced by administering amyl nitrite to open the coronary arteries of patients. Brunton was knighted in [[1900]].
Additionally, amyl nitrite causes the formation of [[methemoglobin]] wherein, as an effective antidote to cyanide poisoning, the methemoglobin combines with the cyanide to form nontoxic cyanmethemoglobin.{{cite web | title=AMYL NITRITE | publisher=[[New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority]] | url=http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/datasheet/a/Amylnitrateinh.htm | accessdate = 2008-03-27}} First responders typically carry a cyanide poison kit such as the popular Taylor Pharmaceutical Cyanide Antidote Kit.{{cite web | title=AMYL NITRITE | publisher=Emergency Medical Products, Inc | url=http://www.buyemp.com/product/1124401.html | accessdate = 2008-03-27}}
==Users==
[[Image:Rush hour 1975.jpg|left|250px|thumb|An example of what TIME Magazine and The Wall Street Journal reported as 'aggressive marketing': the widely seen 'bomb' advertisement for RUSH,Liquid Incense circa the 1970s and '80s]]
''[[TIME Magazine]]'' and ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that the popper fad began among homosexual men as a way to enhance sexual pleasure, but "quickly spread to [[avant-garde]] heterosexuals" as a result of aggressive marketing. A series of interviews conducted in the late 1970s with construction workers, a "trendy East Side NYC couple" at a "chic NYC nightclub", a Los Angeles businesswoman "in the middle of a particularly hectic public-relations job" (who confided to the reporter that "I could really use a popper now."), along with the observation of frenetic disco dancers amid "flashing strobe lights and the pulsating beat of music in discos across the country", demonstrated a wide spectrum of users.{{cite news |title=Rushing to a New High |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,916269,00.html |work=Time |date=[[1978-07-17]] |accessdate=2007-04-29}}
User surveys are hard to come by but a 1988 study found that 69% of men who had sex with men in the Baltimore/Washington DC area reported they had ever used poppers, with 21% having done so in the prior year. The survey also found that 11% of recreational drug users in the area reported using poppers, increasing to 22% among "heavy abusers", with an average age of first use of 25.6 years old. Both survey groups used poppers to "get high", but the men who had sex with men were more likely to use them during sex. It was reported that this group reduced usage following the [[AIDS]] epidemic, while the drug-users had not. W.R. Lange, C.A. Haertzen and J.E. Hickey et al., Nitrite inhalants patterns of abuse in Baltimore and Washington, DC, Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 14 (1988), pp. 29–39. A 1987 study commissioned by the US Senate and conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services found that less than 3% of the overall population had ever used poppers.Kennedy, Edward, U.S. Senate, Chair Committee on Labor and Human Resources. "REPORT of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources."Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Amendments of 1988. Section 4015. 1988.
Use by minors is historically minimal due, in part, to the ban on sales to minors by major manufacturers for public relations reasons and because some jurisdictions regulate sales to minors by statute.Nickerson, Mark, John Parker, Thomas Lowry, and Edward Swenson.Isobutyl Nitrite and Related Compounds; chapter on "Sociology and Behavioral Effects" . 1st ed. San Francisco: Pharmex, Ltd, 1979. [http://www.virusmythpoppersmyth.org/isobutyl_nitrite_and_rela/files/IBNtextnpttypepad.pdf]A paper published in 2005 examined use of poppers self-reported by adolescents aged 12-17 in the (American) 2000 and 2001 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse. 1.5% reported having used poppers; 1.8% of those over 14. Living in nonmetropolitan areas, having used mental health services in the past year (for purposes unconnected with substance use treatment), the presence of delinquent behaviours, past year alcohol and drug abuse and dependence, and multi-drug use were all associated with reporting the use of poppers.Ringwalt CL, Schlenger WE. Wu L (2005) "Use of nitrite inhalants ("poppers") among American youth",''Journal of Adolescent Health'' 37 (1) Jul 2005, pp.52-60. In contrast to these low rates, a survey in the North West of England found a rate of 20% self-reported use of poppers among 16 year olds.
===Street names===
Amyl Nitrite, manufactured by Burroughs Wellcome (Now [[GlaxoSmithKline]]) and [[Eli Lilly and Company]], was originally sold in small glass ampules that were crushed to release their vapors, and received the name "poppers" as a result of the popping sound made by crushing the ampule.{{cite web | url=http://www.homohealth.org/mens_program/sexualhealth/poppers.htm | title=Poppers | accessdate=2007-03-18 | publisher=Lifelong AIDS Alliance | work=homohealth.org}} Today, generic-like street names include 'poppers', RUSH,{{cite web | title=Essential Facts | work=iabuse.org | publisher=Inhalant Abuse Action Group | url=http://www.iabuse.org/info.shtml | accessdate=2007-03-15}} Locker Room, Snappers,{{cite web | title=Inhalants | publisher=[[National Institute on Drug Abuse]] | url=http://www.drugabuse.gov/DrugPages/Inhalants.html | accessdate=2007-03-15}} and Liquid Gold. Many brand names exist and are in use in different localities.
==Availability and legality==
Poppers are not listed by the [[International Narcotics Control Board]] as substances under international control.{{cite web | title =List of psychotropic substances under international control|url=http://www.incb.org/pdf/e/list/green.pdf | accessdate=2007-06-23 | publisher=International Narcotics Control Board | year=2003 | month=August | format=PDF}} However, the sale of poppers is legally controlled in some countries of which examples appear below. Amyl nitrite's status as a medication means that it can be subject to separate legislation from that which affects other [[alkyl nitrites]]. As discussed below, various techniques have been developed by suppliers to circumvent the laws that apply locally.
===Australia===
In the state of Queensland poppers are no longer sold in adult shops. In New South Wales and Victoria they are still available in most adult shops, sold as room odourants or video head cleaners. They are available in other states and territories.
===Denmark===
In 2006, amyl nitrite and associated compounds were added to List D under the "Law on Euphoric Substances" which controls psychoactive substances in Denmark.
===Ireland and Italy===
Possession is legal, are available in most adult shops.
===France===
Possession is legal, but supply has been forbidden by a decree of Prime Minister François Fillon in November 2007.
===Spain===
The legal situation of poppers in the Spain is somewhat ambiguous. On the one hand, their components are legal, although no modern pharmaceutical [[laboratory]] fabricates it, as it is medically obsolete. Thus, they are frequently sold as [[solvent]]s. The open sale of poppers as such is not allowed, although it is not difficult to buy them through the [[Internet]] and to import them from countries whose [[legislation]] is not so restrictive.
===United Kingdom===
Amyl nitrite is controlled under the Medicines Act, and although possession is legal, supply may be an offence. Other nitrites are readily available in consumer products such as room odorants and leather cleaner, and numerous shops, particularly sex shops, clubs, and shops selling [[drug paraphernalia]], sell them as "room aromas" or similar. However, a recent [[European Union]] directive, as well as a decision made by the [[Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency]] means that any product on sale with a [[psychoactive]] effect could be classed as a medicine regardless of how it is marketed, and so controlled under the Medicines Act. Additionally, Isobutyl Nitrite has also been classified as a class 2 [[carcinogen]] making retail sale technically prohibited. [http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/legResults.aspx?LegType=All+Legislation&title=dangerous&Year=2006&searchEnacted=0&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0&blanketAmendment=0&TYPE=QS&NavFrom=0&activeTextDocId=2940229&PageNumber=1&SortAlpha=0 Dangerous Substances and Preparations (Safety) Regulations 2006 (No. 2916)]. Retrieved on 20th June 2007.
Prices are commonly in the range of £2–5 [[GBP]] per bottle.
===United States===
It is illegal to sell or distribute alkyl nitrites for use as poppers in the United States. Federal law charges the [[Consumer Products Safety Commission]] with enforcing the law. Individual possession and use are not banned.{{cite web | title=U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Compliance Bans of Butyl Nitrite and Volatile Alkyl Nitrite | url=http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/regsumbutylnitrite.pdf | accessdate=2007-03-29 | publisher=[[Consumer Product Safety Commission]] | year=2002 | month=August | format=[[PDF]]}}
*Amyl nitrite was originally marketed as a prescription drug in 1937, and remained so until 1960, when the [[Food and Drug Administration]] removed the prescription requirement. This requirement was reinstated in 1969 after observation of an increase in recreational use.
* Other Alkyl nitrites were outlawed in the USA by Congress through the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. The law includes an exception for commercial purposes. The term commercial purpose is defined to mean any commercial purpose other than for the production of consumer products containing volatile alkyl nitrites meant for inhaling or otherwise introducing volatile alkyl nitrites into the human body for euphoric or physical effects.Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Public Law 1QO-690,section 2404) (15 U.S.C. 2d57a(e)(2)). The law came into effect in 1990.{{cite web | title=Great Lakes Products Inc. Pays To Settle Civil Penalty Case| url=http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/PRHTML94/94136.html | accessdate=2007-06-18 | publisher=Consumer Product Safety Commission | year=1994 | month=September | format=html}} Visits to retail outlets selling these products reveal that some manufacturers have since reformulated their products to abide by the regulations, through the use of the legal cyclohexyl nitrite as the primary ingredient in their products, which are sold as video head cleaner, polish remover or room odorants. ([[Cyclohexyl nitrite]] is technically not a member of the class of alkyl nitrites encompassed by the law, but as a result of the [[Federal Analog Act]], its status remains in question.)
==Health Issues==
[[Image:BBC Health Poppers.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Screenshot from BBC Radio One website (bbc.co.uk) with health information about poppers]]
High doses of nitrites may cause the rare disorder [[methemoglobinemia]], especially in individuals predisposed towards such a condition.{{cite web | url=http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/Mental/Current/Q156977.html?h19o | title=Chemical addictions and their effect on someone with HIV | date=[[2004-05-19]] | accessdate=2007-03-19 | last=Horwath |first=Ewald| work=The Body}} It is suggested that taking [[Viagra]] with nitrites could cause a serious decrease in blood pressure, leading to fainting, stroke, or even heart attack.{{cite web | title=Viagra May Cause Heart Attack Deaths In Younger Men With No Heart Problems, Study Finds | publisher=PSA Rising | url=http://psa-rising.com/medicalpike/vaigracardiodeaths031500.htm | accessdate=2007-03-15}}{{cite web | url=http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/20789/351666.html | publisher=Aetna InteliHealth | title=Experts See Dangerous Trend In Use Of Viagra With 'Party Pills' | date=[[2004-06-24]] | accessdate=2007-03-18}} As poppers increase pressure within the eyeball, users with [[glaucoma]] take additional risks when using poppers.{{cite web |url=http://www.watton.org/drugsinfo/aboutnitrates.shtml |title=Amyl Nitrate
There has also been a suggestion that poppers may weaken the [[immune system]], however any damage is undone within a few days of halting use.{{cite web | last=Sheppard | first=Simon | authorlink=Simon Sheppard (writer) | url=http://www.gay.com/health/sexuality/article.html?coll=rela_fantasy&sernum=770&page=2 | title=Speaking of Poppers | work=Sex Talk | accessdate=2007-03-16 | publisher=[[Gay.com]] | pages=p. 2 | quote=There is evidence that using poppers does lower immune function, though the damage is undone in at most a few days.}} Other risks include [[Burn (injury)|burns]] if spilt on skin, loss of consciousness, [[headaches]]{{cite book | author=Wood, Ronald W. | title=The Acute Toxicity of Nitrite Inhalants | publisher=National Institute on Drug Abuse | year=1989 | url=http://hdl.handle.net/1802/1150 | format=[[PDF]] | accessdate=2007-03-15 | pages=pp. 28-29}}, and red or itching [[rash]]es around the mouth and nose.
Suggestions of a link between poppers and either [[AIDS]], [[HIV]]-infection or an [[AIDS-related cancer]] called [[Kaposi's Sarcoma]] have been made and are a subject of on-going debate. Several researchers have demonstrated a statistical correlation between popper use and [[HHV-8]]-infection and development of Kaposi's Sarcoma. However the most recently published peer-reviewed English-language overview of research on the health risks of poppers notes a lack of controlled trials. The correlation might therefore be accounted for by a bias among some popper users towards high-risk sexual behaviours.Romanelli F, Smith KM, Thornton, AC & Pomeroy C (2004) "Poppers: epidemiology and clinical management of inhaled nitrite abuse", ''Pharmacotherapy'' 2004 Jan; Vol. 24 (1), pp. 69-78. A 1992 article in ''[[The Lancet]]'' draws exactly that conclusion in a finding that the practice of insertive [[rimming]] explained excess rates of Kaposi's sarcoma.Beral V, Bull D, Darby S, Weller I, Carne C, Beecham M & Jaffe H (1992) "Risk of Kaposi's sarcoma and sexual practices associated with faecal contact in homosexual or bisexual mens with AIDS", The Lancet (March 14, 1992) Vol. 339 (8794) pp. 632-5. In a 1986–1988 series of study reviews and technical workshops with leading authorities, mandated by the US Congress, it was concluded that nitrites are not a causal factor in AIDS infection or Kaposi's sarcoma. A study that followed 715 gay men for eight and a half years published in the ''Lancet'' in 1993 rejected any causal relationship between AIDS and poppers, but noted a correlation between HIV infection and poppers. Anal sex was also correlated.Schechter MT, Craib KJP, Gelmon KA, Montaner JSG, Le TN & O'Shaughnessy MV (1993) "HIV-1 and the aetiology of AIDS", ''The Lancet'' (March 13, 1993) vol (8846) pp. 658-9. However, a meta review of 30 research articles examining HIV infection risk and club drug use showed some evidence for poppers being a risk factor for HIV infection but considered further research was necessary.Drumright L, Patterson T, Strathdee S, "Club Drugs as Causal Risk Factors for HIV Acquisition Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Review" ''Substance Use & Misuse'' Vol. 41,(10-12) 2006 , pp. 1551–1601.
Some health authorities now mandate point of sale warnings.{{cite news|first=Christopher |last=Heredia |title="Poppers' link to HIV prompts call for warnings in S.F. |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi? file=/chronicle/archive/2001/10/25/MN55269.DTL |work=San Fransisco Chronicle |date=[[2001-10-25]] |accessdate=2007-06-08}} Some health departments and AIDS prevention agencies have issued alerts about poppers use being associated with HIV transmission.In 2007 Seattle Health Department issued a poppers alert cautioning "be cautious about the information on the internet. Websites that sell poppers are not accurate sources of health information." www.metrokc.gov/health/apu/infograms/poppers.htm However, reputable medical sites such as the online version of the ''[[Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy]]'' continue to report that there is little evidence of significant hazard associated with inhalation of alkyl nitrites. Aside from the issue of HIV/AIDS, a 1983 U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission investigation Briefing Package stated that "Available injury data did not indicate a significant risk of personal injury or illness from room odorizer abuse."{{cite web | last=CPSC | first=Staff Report | date=[[1983-07-10]] | accessdate=2008-03-25 | title=Briefing Package on Petition HP82-1| publisher=[[U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission]] | format=[[PDF]] | url=http://www.virusmythpoppersmyth.org/cpsc_report_1983/}}
==Chemistry==
{{main|Alkyl nitrites}}
Poppers are a class of chemicals called alkyl nitrites. These are [[chemical compound]]s of structure R-ONO. More formally, they are [[alkyl]] [[ester]]s of [[nitrous acid]].
The first few members of the series are [[Volatility (chemistry)|volatile]] [[liquid]]s; [[methyl nitrite]] and [[ethyl nitrite]] are [[gas]]eous at [[Standard conditions for temperature and pressure|room temperature and pressure]].
[[Organic compound|Organic]] nitrites are prepared from [[alcohol]]s and [[sodium nitrite]] in [[sulfuric acid]] [[solution]]. They decompose slowly on standing, the decomposition products being [[oxide]]s of [[nitrogen]], [[water]], the alcohol, and [[polymerization]] products of the [[aldehyde]].
'''Physical and Chemical Properties''' (Sutton, 1963):
{|class="wikitable"
! !![[Butyl Nitrite]]!![[Isobutyl nitrite]]!!Amyl ([[Isoamyl Nitrite]])
|-
|Formula||CH3(CH2)2CH2ONO||(CH3)2CHCH2ONO||(CH3)2CHCH2CH2ONO
|-
|Molecular Weight||103.12||103.12||117.15
|-
|Physical State||Oily Liquid||Colourless Liquid||Transparent Liquid
|-
|Boiling Point (°C)||78.2||67||97-99
|-
|Specific Gravity||0.9144 (0/4°C)||0.8702 (20/20°C)||0.872
|}
==In popular culture==
Poppers have been depicted or referred to in a number of films and songs since the 1970s, often in connection with sexual activities. In the 1970s, [[Hunter S. Thompson]]'s ''[[Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas]]'' and in [[Radley Metzger]]'s [[1972]] [[cult classic]] film ''[[Score (film)|Score]]'' depicted poppers. In the latter film, a [[bisexuality|bisexual]] woman glides an ampoule of amyl nitrite under the nose of a [[heterosexuality|heterosexual]] woman in an attempt to seduce her. In the Sundance Channel documentary called ''[[Gay Sex in the 70s]]'', there is a full-screen, slow pan along a bottle of Hardware poppers.
In the [[John Waters (filmmaker)|John Waters]] film ''[[Pink Flamingos]]'', [[Harris Glenn Milstead|Divine]] sniffs amyl nitrite during the party scene. Amyl nitrite is also mentioned in ''[[Hannibal (film)|Hannibal]]'', the sequel to ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence Of The Lambs]]'', and by Chloe in ''[[Fight Club (film)|Fight Club]]''.
In ''[[JFK (film)|JFK]]'', David Ferrie (Joe Pesci) uses poppers while engaging in a gay sex orgy with Clay Shaw (Tommy Lee Jones) and Willie O'Keefe (Kevin Bacon). During a scene in the 1993 movie ''[http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=102632 Modern Day Houdini]'', the protagonist holds up a bottle of Hardware poppers. During the rape scene in the 2002 film ''[[Irréversible]]'' the rapist (Le Tenia, played by Jo Prestia) is shown using poppers as he rapes Alex, played by [[Monica Bellucci]].
In the [[Alex Cox]] film ''[[Repo Man (1984 film)|Repo Man]]'', Duke ([[Dick Rude]]) asks Otto ([[Emilio Estevez]]), "Want some toot, dude?" and pulls out a small bottle, whose contents he then spills on the table. His companions, Debbi (Jennifer Balgobin) and Archie ([[Miguel Sandoval|Michael Sandoval]]), dive to the table to sniff it up rather than see it wasted. The bottle has a [[Generic brand|generic]] label (a recurring joke in the film) reading "Butyl Nitrate."
The title of the song "[[Animal Nitrate]]" by [[Suede (band)|Suede]] is a reference to amyl nitrite. The song "Pharmacist's Daughter" by punk band [[NOFX]], is about a person who can get almost any drug from his girlfriend, who is the daughter of a pharmacist; the song mentions many drugs, including amyl nitrite. In the [[Hold Steady]] song "Killer Parties", they refer to the drug with the line "Pensacola parties hard with poppers, pills, and Pepsi." [[Eminem]] references a brand of poppers, "RUSH," in his song "[[Just Don't Give a Fuck]]," from his 1999 album "[[The Slim Shady LP]]". He says, "Doin' too much RUSH had my face flushed like red blush."
In the popular US television series ''[[Queer as Folk (US TV series)|Queer As Folk]]'' amyl nitrite is referred to on a number of occasions. During a scene in the 42nd episode of ''[[The Sopranos]]'', Ralphie Cifaretto holds a small brown bottle containing an unknown liquid while engaging in sex acts with [[Janice Soprano]]. In series three, episode five of ''[[The Mighty Boosh]]'', Tony Harrison states that he has ordered "three crates of poppers" for the upcoming party at the Nabootique. In That Peter Kay Thing (a comedy series by Peter Kay) a character walks into a shop and asks for a twix and a bottle of poppers, to which the shop keeper remarks "try that pure gold".
In the film ''[[St Trinian's (2007 film)|St. Trinian's]]'' a pupil offers poppers to an unconscious student in lieu of smelling salts.
In his March 22, 2008 article ''[http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/travel/23Kesey.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5087&em&en=0295e1a710b1bd14&ex=1206331200 'In Mexico, on the Lam With Ken Kesey']'', [[The New York Times]] editorial writer Lawrence Downes interviewed Bart Varelmann, who revealed in his self-published memoir, "Innkeeper", that “The interior of Ken’s bus was a grab-bag cornucopia of strange pills, exotic herbs, magic mushrooms, peyote buttons, LSD, uppers, downers, poppers and of course marijuana”.
==References==
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