POPPERS
(amyl nitrate, butyl nitrate, isobutyl nitrate, TNT, liquid gold, rush etc.)

Amyl/butyl nitrate (poppers) is a powerful drug that can give you an almighty burst of dizzy energy for a couple of minutes.

The rush kicks in immediately, and for a few moments you'll feel like the bass drum has got inside your head, the lights have been turned up to a zillion watts and your heart is attempting a solo flight.

Generally coming in small glass bottles - or, more rarely, glass phials - costing between £2-£5, amyl nitrate is normally snorted out of the open bottle, although some people like to get adventurous by inhaling a cigarette that has been dipped into the liquid (do not light the cigarette! Amyl nitrate is is a highly volatile flammable liquid!)

First produced in 1857 as a treatment for angina, amyl nitrate evaporates at room temperature. The vapour released causes your veins and arteries to dilate resulting in the blood flowing faster through the heart and the brain.

On the dancefloor it feels like you've been hit by a percussive thunderbolt, and if you're having sex it feels like your sexual organs have grown to Herculean proportions. The effect only lasts for a few moments and you might feel a little light headed for a minute or so afterwards.

Some people react differently to amyl and suffer pounding headaches, dizziness and a flushed face, or feel like they're starring in 'Scanners'