Sniff wisely!

NYC Department of Public Health issues friendly reminder to please never drink poppers

Gays are obsessed with poppers. We sniff them in Ubers, on dance floors and in the bedroom. They are ubiquitous, especially when the weekend rolls around.

Fortunately, the New York City Department of Health has come through with a timely warning, posted Friday morning: Enjoy all the poppers you want. Just don’t swallow them!

“Poppers are liquid chemicals that people inhale to get high,” tweeted @nychealth. “They are often sold in small bottles that look like energy drinks. Never drink poppers! Drinking poppers can cause hospitalization and death.”

Death by poppers. It’s not a cute look.

This isn’t the first time a government agency has taken to Twitter and warned the masses about the dangers of ingesting poppers. Two years ago, the Food and Drug Administration urged people to stop using them altogether.

They even name-checked Jungle Juice and RUSH!

All kidding aside, it’s worth comparing the NYC Department of Health’s nuanced message of risk aversion to the FDA’s draconian stance of abstinence. Poppers (known as alkyl nitrites) loosen muscle tissue, and can make anal sex easier–never mind more pleasurable! Sexually active gay men are going to use them.

Knowing that, it’s smart for public health agencies to advise on poppers usage, rather than discourage it. The latter is a losing battle.

NYC’s Department of Health is quite adept at this sort of thing. Early in the pandemic, it issued guidance on how people can engage in safe sex, even advising residents to “get a little kinky.”

“Sex is a normal part of life and should always be with the consent of all parties,” the guidance begins.

Amen to that.

Poppers are so mainstream these days, even party girls are catching onto the craze. One Gen Z “It” girl — Meg Superstar Princess — recounted whimsically to the New York Times about the night in which somebody spilled poppers onto the dance floor.

“The whole place fumed up, it was amazing,” she said.

The instant head rush doesn’t discriminate. It’s great for gays, girls and theys … when used responsibly, of course.

Thankfully, the NYC Department of Health is here to help. Here’s what more people were saying on Twitter…

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