By Jake Folsom
When you move to New York from whatever bland suburb you came from, you’re likely to encounter a whole host of things for the first time: fancy clubs, people who find it acceptable to spend $11 on kale-beet-ginger juice, and poppers. What are poppers, you ask? Various chemicals (amyl nitrate, ispropyl nitrate, isobutyl nitrate, and so on) that are used as recreational inhalants. A lot of NYU students aren’t familiar with them when they first get to the city, so we rounded up the salient details.
1. They’re easy to buy.
Most sex stores and smoke shops sell poppers, and you can buy them if you’re 18 or older. If you’re a fan of poppers, be thankful Bloomberg didn’t win a fourth term; otherwise, he and City Council might have tinkered with age restrictions.
Fair warning: if you buy from a sex store, you have to go through the same weird dance of euphemisms required to purchase a bong or “water pipe.” They’re often sold as “nail polish remover,” “leather cleaner, and “liquid incense,” and it’s awkward to ask. You can ask for the brand you want, or just try the direct option of asking for “poppers.” You might get a withering “THIS queen” appraisal, but they’ll probably still sell them to you.
2. Yes, they are a “gay thing.”
In terms of the “high,” the effects of poppers are pretty underwhelming. As a British commenter on this message board puts it so eloquently, the head rush is little more than “a bit of a giggle.”
Poppers have everything to do with butt sex. They relax the body’s smooth muscles, which includes your asshole. Think of it as oilin’ up the hinges on the ol’ backdoor. Are you getting my drift? Yes? No? Ask a bio major. Or your mother.
Of course straight people can enjoy poppers, too, but their recreational use was spearheaded by the gays. Tip: pack some along when you’re paying your respects at tourist spots like the Central Park Ramble or Sheridan Square. It’s how our gay forefathers would’ve wanted it.
3. They’re good for the dance floor.
For dancing machines who also like to get their study on, poppers present a convenient alternative. Rather than risking a costly club-drug hangover, stoke the disco heat with poppers and enjoy a night of grooving.
4. You can pick your favorite brand of poppers.
Decisions, decisions. From Jungle Juice to Purple Haze, Locker Room to Ram, there is a long list of tasteful brand names to choose from. The brand RUSH may draw you in with their ad campaigns’ subtle innuendo. One of their most popular banner ads reads, “Feel the Pleasure!” They’re also John Waters endorsed, so…
5. They kill your brain cells and possibly harm you in other ways.
You are huffing a chemical, so let’s not pretend we’re not playing with fire here. Certain varieties of poppers in the UK have been linked to vision loss in recent studies, so maybe sit this round out if you’re across the pond.
