|
Denmark prohibits sale and use of poppers
©LIOWLB/Enkidu
The
Danish minister of the Interior and Health Lars Løkke Rasmussen has
informed the public in a press release, that in the future, all sale
and use of poppers will be prohibited, responding to a series of
poppers related accidents, which have been covered extensively by the
Danish Media in the last months. Denmark is the thus last Nordic
country to introduce total and absolute ban on poppers. Until now,
poppers has been sold in pharmacies, sex shops and through the
internet to anyone above the age of 15.
The
Royal Ministry of Health decreed on Friday February 6th, that the
substances amyl-nitrite (including all isomers in the amyl group) and
isobutyl-nitrite will be prohibited, and in the future only shall be
available for medical use, if necessary, and for scientific research.
The
poppers question has treated with unusual speed and efficiency by the
Danish authorities after several disturbing reports were published in
Denmark in November and December 2003 when poppers reached the
headlines of all Scandinavian media. Chief physician and head doctor
Svend Aage Mortensen at the Cardiological Center at Rikshospitalet,
Denmarks largest Hospital was one of the most prominent experts
expressing concern about the increased use of poppers, recommending a
ban.
The
Ministry emphasized that there is no reason to passively await further
poppers related accidents, as the use of poppers spreads quickly and
reaches new consumer groups. For me, Løkke Rasmussen underlines, it
is enough knowing that we here are dealing with several substances
that involve severe risks for the public health. Considering that
these substances in Denmark exclusively are used as a drug and as a
sexual stimulus, there is no reason to loose a single second
prohibiting it.
The
minister says that the authorities must react quickly to such
threats. Nevertheless, a couple of months of further research and
evaluation were necessary before a final decision was made, despite
the fact that important authorities in the field, for instance Sven
Edelfors, lector at the Danish Pharmacological Institute advocated an
immediate ban. Further evaluation was considered necessary by the
Ministry to ensure a solid scientific basis for their decision.
However, the Ministry has learned a lesson from the process and
emphasized that they are now aware of how the system can be made more
efficient to allow for faster reactions in similar cases in the future
without compromising the need for solid scientific basis for such
decisions. Even now, after the ministry’s final decision, it will
take another 2 weeks before the new prohibition is effective (on
February 18th 2004).
The
last time the Danish ministry of Health discussed poppers was in March
2003. It was then concluded that the available evidence was
insufficient for a ban at that time, and that further investigations
were considered necessary. However, in the preceding year, new
material has been evaluated including police reports, reports from
court physicians, and local drug abuse consultants throughout the
country. In particular a series of reportages by an investigating news
team in the national Danish broadcaster TV2 has contributed to bring
the poppers-question into the public consciousness and generated
lively debates. It has been criticized by several commentators that
the matter has not been properly discussed and investigated by the
authorities before it reached the headline news, which finally forced
the ministry to a thorough examination and evaluation of the issue and
the risks involved.
Poppers
have been used extensively by gay men for decades, without generating
any debate in the media at all, even though there have undoubtedly
been several accidents due to poppers also in the past. However in the
last years, poppers has gained increasing popularity in Denmark also
among heterosexuals, explaining the sudden increase in the number of
poppers-related accidents. It has been criticized by gay activists
that it may seem as if nobody cared to investigate into the subject as
long as only gay men were affected. Nobody seemed to have had any
interest in a closer examination of for instance unexpected heart
attacks in sex clubs and gay saunas.
Poppers
is particularly dangerous for people who have suppressed immune
systems, heart problems, low or high blood pressure, a history of
cerebral haemorrhaging, anaemia, or are pregnant.
 HIV-infected individuals should in any case avoid use of poppers. It
causes the blood vessels to open and makes it considerably easier for
their sex partners to catch an HIV-infection and several other
STD’s. The effects of poppers in particular during unprotected anal
sex can be fatal, but it also increases the potential risk of getting
HIV through oral sex, which otherwise may been regarded as a low risk
activity due to the open blood vessels in combination with reduced
resistance. Poppers reduces the functioning of the immune system for
several days after use which several studies document.
The
Norwegian National Broadcasting Company NRK interviewed in December
Dr. Med Christian Anker in Oslo who underlined that poppers in some
cases have caused cancer. Other side effects are Parkinson, migraine
and depressions. Death and blindness can be other consequences
according to NRK.
|
Los
Martes de Enkidu
