Canadian Experiences of the Poppers Ban |
Tell us your story!
CBRC believes Canada's ban on poppers does more harm than good by making it more difficult to access a safe supply of poppers. We are collecting stories from poppers users about the positive benefits of using poppers, and the negative impacts of the poppers ban, to help make a case for Health Canada to reconsider its policy on poppers.
Background
In Canada, the use of poppers has been common in both nightlife and sexual contexts for several decades. They have the effect of relaxing smooth muscle tissues, which can make bottoming safer, easier, and more pleasurable.
Poppers have technically always been illegal to sell for consumption in Canada; however, they were available for purchase as products like room odorizers and leather cleaners, though they were rarely used for these purposes. This was a legal “gray area”.
In 2013, Health Canada initiated enforcement of the ban on the sale of alkyl nitrite products. It is unclear why the crackdown was initiated in 2013, given little evidence pertaining to both the harms and benefits of poppers use, as well as the impact of the changed policies on poppers users.
Many people still use poppers in Canada in spite of the crackdown – in 2019, more than a quarter of men surveyed by CBRC’s National Sex Now Survey reported having used poppers in the last 12 months. Survey data also suggest that there has been no appreciable decline in poppers use between the years 2012 and 2017, pointing to the ineffectiveness of the ban at curbing their use.
We want to hear stories from Canadians about how the poppers ban has impacted you!
These stories will help inform our work to encourage Health Canada and elected officials to re-think the policy on poppers and enable a safe, accessible supply for poppers users in Canada. Please note that this is not a formal research study; it is an informal exercise aimed at gathering accounts of how the ban on poppers has negatively impacted poppers users.
Many people still use poppers in Canada in spite of the crackdown – in 2019, more than a quarter of men surveyed by CBRC’s National Sex Now Survey reported having used poppers in the last 12 months. Survey data also suggest that there has been no appreciable decline in poppers use between the years 2012 and 2017, pointing to the ineffectiveness of the ban at curbing their use.
We want to hear stories from Canadians about how the poppers ban has impacted you!
These stories will help inform our work to encourage Health Canada and elected officials to re-think the policy on poppers and enable a safe, accessible supply for poppers users in Canada. Please note that this is not a formal research study; it is an informal exercise aimed at gathering accounts of how the ban on poppers has negatively impacted poppers users.
Your story may be used in part or in whole in public-facing documents and campaigns. Any information that could be used to identify you will be removed prior to being shared.
Questions or comments? Contact us at poppers@cbrc.net.