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A recent investigation by a tabloid publication in Costa Rica into a club drug used to facilitate anal intercourse has attracted the attention of public health officials. According to a news report filed by Daniel Chinchilla Salazar of daily tabloid Diario Extra, the Ministry of Public Health is preparing to shut down sex shops and other establishments in Costa Rica that sell amyl nitrite vials, currently known as “poppers rush.”

As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star:

At electronic music clubs and bars that cater to LGBT crowds in Costa Rica, revelers and couples are increasingly using a drug that enhances their sensorial experience while facilitating anal intercourse.

 

Amyl nitrite, a vasodilator that in the early 20th century was often prescribed for the treatment of angina pectoris, is currently undergoing a resurgence in Costa Rica, albeit not for therapeutic purposes.

 

Poppers are vials that must be crushed prior to being inhaled; the intense, pleasing effects are instantaneous: a rush of blood to the brain creates a feeling of warmth, empathy, relaxation, and enhanced sexual excitement.

 

[…] inhalation of poppers relaxes the anal sphincter muscles, thereby assisting couples or groups who wish to engage in anal sex. The effects of poppers tend to last between two to six minutes.

According to Mr. Salazar, the investigative journalist from Diario Extra, a top health official has remarked that the use of poppers as club drugs is illegal. Mr. Salazar quoted an email from Jennifer Lee Alavarado, who is a director of medication oversight at the Ministry of Public Health:

We are aware about the demand and supply issue of this substance. This is an illegal situation since this type of medications should only be sold at drugstores and pharmacies. The Ministry has not authorized over-the-counter distribution, and thus it should not be sold at unauthorized establishments. We may eventually issue a public health warning so that people in Costa Rica are aware of the risks. We are also working on a protocol to shut down those establishments that sell substances without having the proper permits, or where we find that retailing permits have been falsified.

Poppers are sold at certain sex shops in Costa Rica for about $30 to $40; this is for a double dose that can be shared by couples. At least one Facebook Timeline has been set up to retail this substance online; that social media account in particular features stock photography of naked men in seductive poses.