What are poppers?
Legal drug has been in use since the 1970s
POPPERS are a legal party drug linked to enhancing sexual experiences - here's everything you need to know.
What are poppers?
Poppers is a slang term for a group of chemicals known as alkyl nitrates or isopropyl nitrates.
Known as a "club drug" and associated with preparation for sexual encounters, poppers have been in popular use since the 1970s disco scene.
How are they sold?
They are usually sold in small bottles as a liquid that produces a vapour, which can be inhaled.
Prices for the bottles start at about £3.50 and are frequently sold in sex shops as well as pubs and clubs.
What does the drug do?
The drug opens up blood vessels, increases blood flow and reduces blood pressure while increasing the user's heart rate.
Users report getting a head rush.
The drug is widely used amongst gay men as a way to enhance sexual pleasure.
Are poppers legal?
Poppers are legal in the UK, although it is against the law to sell them advertised for human consumption. To bypass this the drug is normally sold as an odoriser.
In January a motion to ban poppers was debated in parliament. MP Crispin Blunt said to do so would be "fantastically stupid" and admitted having used the drug.
Can they be dangerous?
Policing Minister Mike Penning told the Commons that poppers have been mentioned on 20 death certificates since 1993, earlier this year.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has said poppers pose a small risk of death if inhaled swallowed.
However, this is increased among people with heart or blood pressure problems.
In 2011 the ACMD said the misuse of poppers was not seen as "capable of having harmful effects sufficient to cause a social problem".
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