Head Cleaners

Poppers is the street term used since the 1950s to describe the use of inhaled alkyl nitrites in a recreational context, primarily to enhance the sexual experience, and are particularly popular in the gay and avant-garde heterosexual communities. more...

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These compounds include amyl nitrite, a drug that has been prescribed for certain cardiac conditions since the 1850s.

Chemistry

Alkyl nitrites can be synthesized from primary alcohols according to the following reaction process:

R-OH + NaNO₂ + H₂SO₄ → R-ONO + NaHSO₄ + H₂O

It has been reported (US Patent 4,638,094) that alkyl nitrites are also a precursor for MDP2P, a phenylacetone used in the production of MDMA, more commonly known as "ecstasy." The basic reaction process is shown below:

MeONO in corresponding alcohol + safrole + PdCl₂ → MDP2P

Availability & legality

Amyl nitrite has long been marketed both as an over-the-counter drug and as a prescription drug, in thin-walled glass ampoules covered by cotton mesh and used primarily for the treatment of angina. Crushing the ampoule to inhale the fumes of the volatile liquid makes a popping sound, thus the term ”poppers”, a nickname that’s still used today, even for the non-ampoule varieties, which are typically small half-ounce bottles containing various different alkyl nitrites. A major lure of these products as a recreational drug is their putative value as aphrodisiacs. They are said to heighten and prolong sensation, especially orgasm.

Poppers are regulated by a variety of federal and local regulations and legal restrictions, though the status of the common cyclohexyl nitrite — technically not a member of the class of alkyl nitrites encompassed by the law — remains in question in the United States, as a result of the Federal Analog Act. Because many jurisdictions prohibit the nonmedical (recreational) use of poppers, these are disingenuously sold as "room odorizer", "leather cleaner" or "video head cleaner" in bars, adult bookstores, boutiques and on the internet. There are occasional press accounts of raids in the United States, and even arrests associated with the sale of these products, resulting most often in confiscation of the dealer's stock and/or an accompanying fine.

Physiological effects

When inhaled, alkyl nitrites (amyl, butyl, isopropyl, etc.) act as vasodialators, relaxing smooth muscles throughout the body, including the sphincter muscles of the anus and the vagina. The blood vessel dilation causes a sudden drop in blood pressure, increases heart rate, and produces a sensation of heat and excitement that can last for several minutes. The blood vessels in the brain are unique in that they alone are able to expand and contract in order to regulate blood pressure within the brain. The alkyl nitrites override this regulatory mechanism and cause the brain's vessels to relax, which admits a rush of blood at high pressure pressure into the cranial vessels. This causes the euphoric head rush for which nitrites are recreationally used.

Read more at Wikipedia.org