“Poppers” or amyl nitrate was originally a drug given to heart patients, before nitroglycerine was in wide use. These days poppers are usually butyl nitrate, or isobutyl nitrate.
The name comes from the popping sound that the old glass vials made when they broke: in the old days one broke them in a wad of cotton, then inhaled. Now you’ll find them packaged in small bottles. The drug itself is a vasovilator and muscle relaxant.
Do not get it on your skin (it will burn) or light it (it is highly flammable). In fact, it’s probably safer just not to use around any open flame. The drug is also highly poisonous if you drink it.
The rush can be addictive, so if you find that it is getting less effective, stop. Repeated sniffing usually gives the mother of all headaches, and in some cases, nausea or dizziness. Use the drug repeatedly in a sauna or steam room, and you might just pass out. Using poppers lowers your immune system, so don’t use them if your immune system is compromised in any way. One of the biggest risks of taking poppers is having unsafe sex while you are high.
There have been reports of deaths from combining poppers with Viagra, so don’t use the two together. If you have low blood pressure, don’t use poppers. Unborn babies can be affected by them, so if your GF might be or is pregnant, don’t use poppers!