Selling Poppers In The UK Can Land You In Prison For Seven Years

“It is an extraordinarily simplistic and retrograde step," says a former drug official who opposes the ban.
From: NewNowNext

 For some amyl nitrate, or “poppers,” are a throwback to the Disco Era. For others, they’re a regular part of sex. But in the United Kingdom, selling poppers can mean a seven-year prison sentence.

England announced it was banning the substance earlier this year as part of a broad update to its drug policy.

 Poppers, which expand blood vessels and loosen involuntary muscles, have long been used by gay men to facilitate anal sex. They have also become a popular party drug, as they induce a potent (though brief) sense of euphoria.

Home Office Minister Mike Penning insists that poppers be part of the blanket ban on a variety of “legal highs,” including nitrous oxide and synthetic cannabis, as part of the new Psychoactive Substances Bill.

Possession of amyl nitrate with intent to sell comes with a seven year sentence, though its not clear what amount would qualify as “an intent to sell.” The ban, expected to go into effect in April, would also include online sales.

Critics of the measure say poppers pose minimal health risk and users will simply find new highs, though calls for reconsidering the ban have fallen on deaf ears.

“It is an extraordinarily simplistic and retrograde step,” says former government drug adviser David Nutt. “It won’t reduce harms—it may well increase harms.”

Maybe Brits’ just need an education on using sexual stimulants correctly: Earlier this year five people fell ill at a music festival after drinking poppers.