(06.30.76) archives: a drug of our own.Methamphetamine, or "meth meth n. Methamphetamine hydrochloride. ," has become the drug of choice for many gay men [see story, page 481. Nearly three decades ago, as featured in The Advocate's first cover story on drug abuse, it was amyl nitrate Noun 1. amyl nitrate - a vasodilator that is sometimes used to treat angina pectoris vasodilative, vasodilator - a drug that causes dilation of blood vessels , or "poppers poppers Drug slang A regional street term for amyl nitrate or isobutyl nitrite ." When compared with crystal and its devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. effects, poppers was a relatively mild threat. In fact, many only saw its benefits. "Amyl nitrate is the only drug gay people can claim to know better than straight people," wrote journalist Karen West. "It smells worse than rotten socks.... [But] there's no risk of addiction, and you never read headlines announcing, 'Police Raid Baths, Confiscate To expropriate private property for public use without compensating the owner under the authority of the Police Power of the government. To seize property. When property is confiscated it is transferred from private to public use, usually for reasons such as Poppers.'" Pharmacologist Norman Kramer warned, however, that 'the fact that there are no publicized reports of serious adverse effects ... may well be a reflection of the fact that most who indulge are young and healthy." The popularity of the drug waned in the early '80s as its association with sexual abandon led to a rumored connection with AIDS infection. |
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