Huffing History with AJ Sloan: Where TH Did Poppers Come From?

June 17, 2023
AJ SLOAN

Poppers to sex are what hot sauce is to, well, literally any food. No, not in the way that it might leave an orifice on fire, but that it elevates your sensations to the next level and above. We’ve all indulged in a hole-opening huff or two at one time or another (yes, even you judgy self-righteous gays out there shaking your heads right now, and this is why you’re never invited to brunch). But what is the origin story of this seductive little Jinii in a bottle?

Poppers aka amyl nitrites aka VHS cleaners aka opener of holes have been appreciated by the gay community since the 1960s. For the two or three people reading this who have yet to bring the bottle to nose, poppers induce euphoric effects that ignite every nerve in your body with rabid horniness and open up your collection of holes for penetration of all sorts.

Unfortunately, there has yet to be a Magic School Bus episode that covers poppers, but I got you, fam. Poppers work by relaxing the smooth muscles in your body. When inhaled, the vapors of the chemicals are absorbed by the bloodstream through the lungs and travel to the brain where they create a rapid and intense sensation of euphoria. What better time to take part than right before taking massive dick? Depending on how fresh the bottle is, the effects can last from a few seconds to a minute or two and vary in intensity.

Like all fun things, poppers were not initially created for recreation. Amyl nitrite was originally synthesized in 1844 by the French chemist Antoine Jérôme Balard. Antoine did so by passing nitrogen through amyl alcohol to produce these feral fumes which were soon being used to treat angina and menstrual cramps. Antoine, you f*cking king, you literally have us all blushing.

Though used by physicians for medical purposes, its recreational applications were quickly becoming more and more popular. In 1871, Scottish psychiatrist James Crichton-Browne wrote in a letter to Charles Darwin that his “patients grew stupid and bewildered.” Let the good times roll.

How did they get the name poppers? Amyl nitrites were originally packaged in glass “pearls” wrapped in silk sleeves. These sleeves were crushed between your fingers (pop!) which released the vapors to be inhaled. Once you pop, the fun… Well, you get it.

Fast forward to the 1960s, the Food and Drug Administration in the US ruled amyl nitrite safe enough to not require a prescription. Of course, the gays went into a frenzy, and prescriptions were soon again reinforced. Too little, too late? By this point, poppers had become a staple to the sex lives of gays, especially those taking it up the ass. To slip around the law, folks were rebranding them and began to use the infamous small bottles that we cherish today. At the time, they were sold under the guise of polish removers and air fresheners. Like all good things gay, poppers were discovered by the breeders, and by the 1970s everyone was huffing away.

In the early years of the AIDS epidemic, many scientists and physicians blamed the virus on the use of poppers. Others theorized that they at the very least contributed to the development of Kaposi’s sarcoma. Of course, this resulted in a series of police raids in LGBTQ+ venues where the “air deodorizers” were sold.

Come the 1990s, science said otherwise, and the authorities chilled out a bit. Like liquor after the prohibition, poppers rapidly rose to popularity again among us gays and extended into the growing rave community. Does anyone else remember that story that circulated a few years ago about those straight folks who drank it and ended up in the hospital? No? Just me?

Today, you can purchase poppers in shops around the world. Spin-offs of amyl nitrite include but are not limited to isobutyl nitrite, butyl nitrite, and the newest to the scene, pentyl nitrite, are all marketed as computer cleaner or whatever bullsh*t alternative to legally disguise their true purpose; to get us f*cked up and ready to get f*cked! Huff responsibly.