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Assessing options for poppers policy in Canada : A call to action for evidence-based policy reform Schwartz, Cameron; Card, Kiffer; Elliott, Richard; Hollett, Kevin; Jollimore, Jody; Pasic, Andrea; Smiley, Sandra; Tooley, Len; Pruden, Harlan; Knight, Rod E.
Abstract
When inhaled, poppers products (alkyl nitrites) relax smooth muscle tissue and produce a pleasant “rush.” As such, they are used by some gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (sexual minority men), including during anal intercourse. In 2013, Health Canada cracked down on poppers sales by introducing threats of fines and imprisonment and seizing poppers in stores and at the border. While no new legislation was introduced, Health Canada takes the position that poppers fall within the definition of a “drug” under the Food and Drugs Act because they “modify organic function” in humans. This crackdown has not prevented poppers use and has added harms related to an illicit and unregulated drug supply. In an effort to reduce harms and advance more equitable and public health-centred approaches to poppers drug policy, we discuss how a series of anticipated outcomes (accessibility, equity, consumer safety, commercial feasibility, and stigma) relate to the following alternative approaches to regulation: (1) poppers as a prescription medicine; (2) poppers as a non-prescription drug (likely accessible ‘over-thecounter’); (3) poppers as a consumer product rather than just a medicine; and (4) ending the crackdown without legislative changes. To improve health equity and reduce harms among sexual minority men in a way that is politically and commercially feasible, we recommend the last approach—ending the crackdown without legislative changes—including ceasing the confiscation of poppers products in stores and at the border.
Item Metadata
| Title |
Assessing options for poppers policy in Canada : A call to action for evidence-based policy reform
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| Creator | |
| Contributor | |
| Date Issued |
2023-04-05
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| Description |
When inhaled, poppers products (alkyl nitrites) relax smooth muscle tissue and produce a
pleasant “rush.” As such, they are used by some gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with
men (sexual minority men), including during anal intercourse. In 2013, Health Canada cracked
down on poppers sales by introducing threats of fines and imprisonment and seizing poppers in
stores and at the border. While no new legislation was introduced, Health Canada takes the
position that poppers fall within the definition of a “drug” under the Food and Drugs Act because
they “modify organic function” in humans. This crackdown has not prevented poppers use and
has added harms related to an illicit and unregulated drug supply. In an effort to reduce harms
and advance more equitable and public health-centred approaches to poppers drug policy, we
discuss how a series of anticipated outcomes (accessibility, equity, consumer safety, commercial
feasibility, and stigma) relate to the following alternative approaches to regulation: (1) poppers as
a prescription medicine; (2) poppers as a non-prescription drug (likely accessible ‘over-thecounter’); (3) poppers as a consumer product rather than just a medicine; and (4) ending the
crackdown without legislative changes. To improve health equity and reduce harms among
sexual minority men in a way that is politically and commercially feasible, we recommend the
last approach—ending the crackdown without legislative changes—including ceasing the
confiscation of poppers products in stores and at the border.
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| Subject | |
| Genre | |
| Type | |
| Language |
eng
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| Date Available |
2025-03-27
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| Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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| Rights |
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
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| DOI |
10.14288/1.0448250
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| URI | |
| Affiliation | |
| Citation |
Schwartz, C., Card, K., Elliott, R., Hollett, K., Jollimore, J., Pasic, A., ... & Knight, R. (2023). Assessing options for poppers policy in Canada: A call to action for evidence-based policy reform. International Journal of Drug Policy, 115, 104017.
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| Publisher DOI |
10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104017
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| Peer Review Status |
Reviewed
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| Scholarly Level |
Faculty; Researcher; Graduate
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| Rights URI | |
| Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International