In August 2020 the government commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to give advice on exempting alkyl nitrites, known as ‘poppers’ from the UK's Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA) 2016. This report summarises, expands and updates the already existing evidence on use and harms. The ACMD recommends that alkyl nitrites should be exempted from the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.

Alkyl nitrites are volatile liquids (evaporating at normal temperatures) that, following inhalation, deliver a short, sharp ‘high,’ or sense of euphoria and relax smooth muscle, especially in blood vessels and sphincters. The term ‘alkyl nitrites’ encompasses a group of substances that are chemically similar, with each member of the group differing in the alkyl group it contains (e.g., propyl, butyl, etc.). They can also be referred to using various synonyms (see Annex A). They have been used widely since the 1960s, especially by men who have sex with men (MSM), and since the late 1980s by teenagers, clubbers and festival attendees. Their use and harms have been previously reviewed twice by the ACMD....