Study Warns Some Gay Men Using Dangerous Form of Club Drug “Poppers”

A new, more dangerous form of the club drug known as “poppers” is being marketed toward and used by some gay men, a new study concludes. Poppers are inhaled drugs. The new forms can contain harmful solvents and propellants.

Traditional poppers have been used by some gay men to enhance sex. They give a mild high and relax smooth muscle, HealthDay reports. They contain amyl nitrite, which is medically used to treat angina. They are sold in small glass bottles under a variety of brand names including “Rush” and “Jungle Juice,” the researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles report in the Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health.

The new drugs being sold as poppers are actually huffing solvents that can cause a potentially deadly heart rhythm disorder called “sudden sniffing death.” Other risks include short-term delirium, memory and thinking problems and nerve damage.

According to lead researcher Timothy Hall, gay men can be introduced to these products by sexual partners without being aware of the dangers. He says doctors need to understand the dangers of these new poppers and alert their patients. Huffing solvents and propellants carry a much greater risk for death and long-term damage to the brain and nervous system than traditional poppers, he wrote.