§ Mr. GallowayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider the proscribing of the recreational drug poppers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. JackThe active ingredient of "poppers" is one or other of a group of chemicals known as alkyl nitrites. The misuse of alkyl nitrites has been considered by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on three occasions, most recently in 1991. The council found that, although these substances posed a limited health hazard when misused, they were not dependence forming and did not give rise to the sorts of social problems which were sufficient to justify their control under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
We continue to keep the situation under review.