Comments on: Poppers – the Sweet Smell of Hypocrisy http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/poppers-the-sweet-smell-of-hypocrisy/ Exposing corporate exploitation of LGBT people in Britain today Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:31:07 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Starry Eyed Surprise http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/poppers-the-sweet-smell-of-hypocrisy/#comment-225 Starry Eyed Surprise Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:03:09 +0000 http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/?p=39#comment-225 i've just picked up this months outnorthwest world aids day issue and there is still an advert for clone zone's "new" poppers in the back (although slightly more subtle) the link between poppers and hiv/immune disorders is irrefutable the link between hiv/barebacking and aids is a close one the duty of the LGF to protect and inform is obviously below their desire to publish trashy articles and provide advertising space to some very selfish, careless people and overall nothing short of wreckless and irresponsible. i’ve just picked up this months outnorthwest world aids day issue and there is still an advert for clone zone’s “new” poppers in the back (although slightly more subtle)

the link between poppers and hiv/immune disorders is irrefutable
the link between hiv/barebacking and aids is a close one

the duty of the LGF to protect and inform is obviously below their desire to publish trashy articles and provide advertising space to some very selfish, careless people and overall nothing short of wreckless and irresponsible.

]]> By: Blood Money « Gay Mafia Watch http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/poppers-the-sweet-smell-of-hypocrisy/#comment-217 Blood Money « Gay Mafia Watch Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:10:02 +0000 http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/?p=39#comment-217 [...] The charity’s dubious relationship with commercial sponsors who profit from the “Pink Pound” in Manchester’s gay village recently prompted us to investigate how the manufacturers of the popular recreational drugs marketed as “Poppers” (or “Room Odorisers”!) were using the LGF’s “community health and lifestyle” magazine “OutNorthWest” to direct their advertising at gay men - “Poppers the Sweet Smell of Hypocrisy“. [...] [...] The charity’s dubious relationship with commercial sponsors who profit from the “Pink Pound” in Manchester’s gay village recently prompted us to investigate how the manufacturers of the popular recreational drugs marketed as “Poppers” (or “Room Odorisers”!) were using the LGF’s “community health and lifestyle” magazine “OutNorthWest” to direct their advertising at gay men – “Poppers the Sweet Smell of Hypocrisy“. [...]

]]> By: Gay Mafia Watch http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/poppers-the-sweet-smell-of-hypocrisy/#comment-207 Gay Mafia Watch Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:12:05 +0000 http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/?p=39#comment-207 We completely agree with you Andi, you make a very good argument. Making poppers illegal is certainly not the answer. The problems we’ve highlighted explain how the current system simply exploits the users of poppers and fails to inform them of the dangers. Making life harder on recreational drugs users by prosecuting them is most definitely not the way forward. Poppers can be enjoyed safely as long as both the users and retailers remain responsible. As a result of our article we'd like to acknowledge that the Lesbian and Gay Foundation have now removed ALL poppers advertisement from their health magazine "OutNorthWest". We completely agree with you Andi, you make a very good argument. Making poppers illegal is certainly not the answer. The problems we’ve highlighted explain how the current system simply exploits the users of poppers and fails to inform them of the dangers. Making life harder on recreational drugs users by prosecuting them is most definitely not the way forward. Poppers can be enjoyed safely as long as both the users and retailers remain responsible.

As a result of our article we’d like to acknowledge that the Lesbian and Gay Foundation have now removed ALL poppers advertisement from their health magazine “OutNorthWest”.

]]> By: Why Poppers Should Not Be Made Illegal « drugz http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/poppers-the-sweet-smell-of-hypocrisy/#comment-204 Why Poppers Should Not Be Made Illegal « drugz Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:30:35 +0000 http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/?p=39#comment-204 [...] Why Poppers Should Not Be Made Illegal I read an article recently on poppers and the gay scene in the UK. Poppers are carcinogenic, and some variations of then are now illegal (in the EU, at least). They also significantly suppress the immune system, according to a host of studies. I don’t condone or urge against their use, but I certainly don’t think making them illegal is any solution. I wrote a lengthy comment on the article and have reposted it here, beneath the quote. The article in question is Poppers: the Sweet Smell of Hypocrisy: [...] [...] Why Poppers Should Not Be Made Illegal I read an article recently on poppers and the gay scene in the UK. Poppers are carcinogenic, and some variations of then are now illegal (in the EU, at least). They also significantly suppress the immune system, according to a host of studies. I don’t condone or urge against their use, but I certainly don’t think making them illegal is any solution. I wrote a lengthy comment on the article and have reposted it here, beneath the quote. The article in question is Poppers: the Sweet Smell of Hypocrisy: [...]

]]> By: Andi Sidwell http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/poppers-the-sweet-smell-of-hypocrisy/#comment-203 Andi Sidwell Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:12:44 +0000 http://gaymafiawatch.wordpress.com/?p=39#comment-203 An interesting article. Making poppers illegal, however, cannot be the solution to stopping people using them. After all, making other drugs illegal has done nothing to stop people using them, with some 30% of the UK population having used an illegal drug at some time in their lives. There can only be bad outcomes from making poppers illegal. The first is that people will instead get in touch with dealers of some kind to get poppers, rather than getting them from shops. (Unless you believe that in some way making something illegal will reduce demand for it, in which case, please talk to any of the 3% of the population who used cocaine last year.) Dealer contact will introduce lots of people to illegal markets, where other drugs are easily available and far more tempting (pills and coke will be on sale next to poppers). People will no longer know that what they're buying are poppers (trading standards do not apply). Another risk is that in outlawing poppers, there will be more people working out how to make more potent forms of poppers. This is happening with cannabis at the moment (there is a trend towards more potent strains, away from hash and towards skunk), and it happened with alcohol in the US during the 1920s when they prohibited alcohol (everyone went from beers and wines to hard spirits). These issues are inherent in the nature of banning substances. However, if a ban is to make any difference, police will have to spend serious amounts of time and money cracking down on popper use and sale, which will criminalise potentially some 850 000 people who take poppers each year, and will be a waste of money and time, when such resources could be better spent on a whole range of other things. It would seem to be a far better proposition to instead licence the sale of such substances and to tax them more heavily. According to a paper published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, taxes are the most effective way to lower usage of alcohol/tobacco, followed by an advertising ban. It is more effective to try and change people's minds so that they don't want to take poppers than to try and stop getting hold of them, and the current and failing war on drugs is a testament to this. An interesting article. Making poppers illegal, however, cannot be the solution to stopping people using them. After all, making other drugs illegal has done nothing to stop people using them, with some 30% of the UK population having used an illegal drug at some time in their lives.

There can only be bad outcomes from making poppers illegal. The first is that people will instead get in touch with dealers of some kind to get poppers, rather than getting them from shops. (Unless you believe that in some way making something illegal will reduce demand for it, in which case, please talk to any of the 3% of the population who used cocaine last year.) Dealer contact will introduce lots of people to illegal markets, where other drugs are easily available and far more tempting (pills and coke will be on sale next to poppers). People will no longer know that what they’re buying are poppers (trading standards do not apply).

Another risk is that in outlawing poppers, there will be more people working out how to make more potent forms of poppers. This is happening with cannabis at the moment (there is a trend towards more potent strains, away from hash and towards skunk), and it happened with alcohol in the US during the 1920s when they prohibited alcohol (everyone went from beers and wines to hard spirits).

These issues are inherent in the nature of banning substances. However, if a ban is to make any difference, police will have to spend serious amounts of time and money cracking down on popper use and sale, which will criminalise potentially some 850 000 people who take poppers each year, and will be a waste of money and time, when such resources could be better spent on a whole range of other things.

It would seem to be a far better proposition to instead licence the sale of such substances and to tax them more heavily. According to a paper published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, taxes are the most effective way to lower usage of alcohol/tobacco, followed by an advertising ban. It is more effective to try and change people’s minds so that they don’t want to take poppers than to try and stop getting hold of them, and the current and failing war on drugs is a testament to this.

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