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 20^th century was often prescribed in the treatment of angina pectoris, is currently undergoing a resurgence in Costa Rica, albeit not for therapeutic purposes. According to an investigative report by journalist Daniel Chinchilla Salazar of daily tabloid Diario Extra, the use of amyl nitrite and similar compounds such as isopropyl nitrite (known by the street names of “poppers” and “poppers rush”) is making a comeback in Costa Rica through electronic music culture.

Writing for Diario Extra, Mr. Chinchilla quotes the work of psychologist Julia Lopez from Alajuela, who explains that poppers are relatively easy to obtain and to smuggle into dance clubs. 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 enahnced sexual excitement.

Moreover, the Merck Manual section on volatile nitrites explains that 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.

Poppers are popular among gay communities in the United States and Europe. Mr. Chinchilla of Diario Extra suggests that their use in Costa Rica is more evenly spread across the LGBT and heterosexual communities; in fact, sexual tourists often inquire about the availability of poppers.

This club drug is currently being dealt on a personal level at dance clubs (known as discotecas in Costa Rica) and gay bars, but poppers are also being sold at shops that sell sexual aids such as lotions, vibrators and pornography. Mr. Chinchilla quotes the retail price of poppers at sex shops in Costa Rica as being between $30 and $40 for double doses that can be shared by couples.