The Government’s own advisory board on drugs have issued a report saying that Poppers are not a psychoactive substance.
Breathe deep everyone… (or sniff) apparently poppers might not be banned as part of the newly enacted psychoactive substance bill which is due to go into effect from the 6th April, because they aren’t a psychoactive substance – or so says the Government’s own advisory committee.
The law will see anyone caught supplying any drugs that provide a psychoactive reaction, unless they’ve been sanctioned, like alcohol and cigarettes by the government, could face some serious jail time – up to 7 years.
In a Poppers scented note (not really) sent to Karen Bradley MP the council explained:
“The ACMD’s consensus view is that a psychoactive substance has a direct action on the brain and that substances having peripheral effects, such as those caused by alkyl nitrites, do not directly stimulate or depress the central nervous system.
“In the ACMD’s view, alkyl nitrites (“poppers”) do not fall within the scope of the current definition of a “psychoactive substance” in the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
“Consequently, the ACMD does not see a need for an exemption under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.”
Poppers are most commonly used within the gay and bisexual male community to aid in the comfort of anal sex, however they have been known to be used by groups of women on Hen Dos on the night bus home from Romford.
In 2014 Lord Brian Paddick suggested that bill needed some serious reevaluation of its language suggesting it could make criminals out of florists.
He said,
“The way that the law is written, it’s any substance that changes your mental state like making you feel happy.
“So suppliers of air fresher for example and potentially florists could be arrested because the scent given off by roses makes people feel romantic, makes them feel better.
“By the strict definition of the law they are supplying a substance which when inhaled through sniffing changes your mental state, that’s how ridiculous this law is.”
The Government has yet to respond on whether the ban on Poppers will go ahead on the 6th April, but they will most likely face legal challenges if the bill ends up including the non psychoactive substance.
