Hi Paul you came to my school today cheers for that. I have seen and known people to use JJ's (Jungle
Juice, I think it's a type of popper which was a big gay drug, that's all I know
about it) at quite a few parties more than any other drug besides alcohol. I
was just wondering what's the deal with them. We haven't received as much drug
ed on them as the other drugs. I don't know if it's because it isn't as dangerous
or it's just more common due to us not being as educated on them.Thanks for the question. 'Jungle Juice' is one of the brand or product names for a group of drugs known as 'nitrites'. You were correct when you said that it was a type of 'popper', as that was the street term used for these drugs in the past. That term is still used by some but it appears that most young users are far more likely to use the product name now - whether that be 'Jungle Juice', 'Rush' or whatever ... In the past the most widely used nitrite was 'amyl', but most of the products available today belong to the alkyl nitrite family.
The drug comes as a liquid with users inhaling the vapour from a small bottle. It has a unique smell, with some products having a sweet, fruity odour, while others are described as smelling like sweaty socks! As you say amyl was known as a 'gay drug' for a very long time, with gay men, particularly in the 70s and 80s, using it to enhance sex or to make the lights and music seem more intense when dancing in nightclubs.
On many international websites it is stated that these are legal products - that is not necessarily the case in Australia. Amyl nitrite and several other
nitrites are restricted substances under Schedule Four of the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons (SUSDP) and over the years there have been many raids conducted by police on businesses that sell these products. To get around legal restrictions, nitrites are sold as such things as liquid incense, room
odorizer, or even leather cleaner (as seen by the label here).Nitrites act as a vasodilator – that means they dilate blood vessels. When someone inhales the drug it causes more blood to enter the brain and this results in the user experiencing an intense 'head rush'. Some users also report that they get a sense of well-being and euphoria, although this is not always the case. The effects are very short-acting however, lasting no more than 30 seconds for some people and up to 3-5 minutes for others.
So is 'Jungle Juice' or any other nitrite product dangerous?
Most people do not continue to use nitrite products regularly mainly because of the unpleasant after-effect. Headaches the morning after are often reported, particularly if the drug is used regularly through the night. If spilled onto the skin it can cause burns and if the liquid is inhaled over and over again it is possible for the user to get sores on and around the nose (or on the lips if inhaled through the mouth) as the vapours can be quite caustic. There have also been some recent studies that show that regular users could suffer loss of vision over time. The most important thing to note, however, is that if nitrites are swallowed it can lead to unconsciousness or even death. Although these products can seem like a bit of harmless fun, they can be very dangerous substances if people are not totally aware of what they are doing ...
No drug is without risk and certainly one of the growing problems with the nitrite products currently available online is that due to some countries banning certain products, manufacturers appear to be 'tweaking' the compound resulting in the manufacture of potentially more dangerous substances. When it comes down to it though - maybe the idea of sniffing something being sold as a 'leather cleaner' isn't that great an idea anyway!
First published: August 2014
Updated: March 2018