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# Poppers

Poppers (also called by their actual name of amyl nitrate and known by other names like animal nitrate, amyls; Q106454435 on Wikidata) is the name given to a generic type of party drug that one can inhale via the nose (or mouth, but making sure not to drink the liquid as it can seriously burn you) that will give the user a short-lived rush.

They are a bit generic, as there are hundreds of brands all being called «poppers», like how there are hundreds of cola brands.

The feeling of taking poppers can feel like just getting off a roller-coaster, the thrill not yet wearing off. Taking them also can make you feel dizzy in the head and blur your vision a little.

Poppers are sold in sex shops as well as online, being officially sold as «room deodorizers», VHS head cleaner, leather cleaner, and other innocent labels like that, but in reality, no-one is actually buying them for the sake of cleaning their tape heads. Due to them being sold as a product not for human consumption, they live in a legal loophole in many places.

The rush that comes with poppers can make the feeling of sex even more intense and fun, they also work as a vasodilation (meaning they widen the blood vessels), which lowers blood pressure and relaxes and smooth muscle, helping with anal sex.

Because of this, poppers are an open secret in queer communities, especially with gay men. Of course, you don't have to be a gay man to take poppers, but it appears that the biggest market for buyers of this drug belongs to that group.

# Advice

Poppers are not for everyone. If you have a weak heart, you probably shouldn't take them, and in fact the US government seems to warn against them as they are losers who don't know what a good time is. But for those who do want to start taking them, here are some no-bullshit tips.

• Firstly, if it is your first time, don't just huff a whole bottle in one go; start with small huffs. Trust me, it's easy to get overwhelmed and super dizzy when you're starting out, plus when you're horny, your brain is telling you to smell as much as you can; you have to fight that urge and go slow. You don't want to hurt yourself. If you're starting to feel a headache, just stop while you're still having fun. Headaches from poppers can last for hours, so it's best not to tempt it.
• If you do somehow spill some liquid on your skin, don't panic, but stop what you're doing and clean the area with running water. Burn marks can happen anyway if you smell poppers by placing the very top of the glass vial to your nose, so be wary of that.
• If you want to have a bigger high, get a sock, dab some of the liquid on the tip area, and roll the sock up and press it against your nose, this seems to really increase the feeling, and the risk of leaving burn marks is lower.
• When not being used, tightly close the popper bottle and place it in a cool place (like a fridge) so it can last longer.

Of course, these are just a few little tips; obviously, this is simply a guide by someone, and you know best for your body, but just try and have fun and experiment with things a little. Doing poppers with a partner is also super fun as well, but remember safety and to practice safe sex. As said near the top, poppers are a bit of a gay man thing, and even way after the 80s, the risk of things like HIV and STDs is still a thing, so using condoms and having tests done is still something you should aim for, even if you don't intend to mix them with drugs.

It goes without saying that this is not meant to be a replacement for medical advice and is only just an observation observed by someone over the years.

# See Also

• Finding resources online isn't that hard, but FRANK has a good page on this topic (FRANK was established by the Department of Health and Home Office by the UK government, so keep that in-mind).
• The band Suede made a song about this drug, called Animal Nitrate

This page was last edited on 2026-09-09 03:47:16.

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