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High life

in Washington

Continued from Page 8

about 90 seconds in most persons after a few shiffs. A condition called hypoxia, or reduced oxygen in the blood, results.

That may not sound like much fun, but its effect, under the right external conditions, was described in a national homosexual magazine as follows:

Three poppers, which work like smelling salts, are shown with Rush and Climax

nitrite.

two

"Feeling of power and agressiveness, reduced fear and pain levels, giddiness, higher popular brands of butyl sensitivity to music and pulsing rhythms, increased sexual excitement and responsiveness, and a general sense of time being slowed down, leading to an illusion of prolonged (sexual) orgasm."

Then the bad news: Afteraffects may include pounding headache, dizziness, a terrifyingly fast heartbeat and even fainting spells.

More bad news: While such experts as Dr. Charles Sharp, a biochemist with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, cannot claim that use of butyl nitrite results in short-term harm, neither can he or anyone else assure steady users that prolonged overuse will not cause irreparable damage to the heart or other organs. The evidence simply isn't in yet.

Because the simple chemicals used to manufacture poppers are common, useful industrial products, such as isobutyl alcohol, Sharp doubts that an effective rule can be drawn to limit the manufacture of this drug.

But he would like to see the sale of butyl nitrite severly restricted so as to cut its growing use among juveniles.

Once available only in porno and "head" shops, the product has seeped into record stores and even mom-and-pop stores frequented by teen-agers.

For the record, at least, W. Jay Freezer, agrees. He is the 40-year-old president of Pacific Western, maker of Rush, the best selling popper on the market.

In an unusually candid interview Freezer said, "From a public relations standpoint, we don't need sales to minors." He said he welComes the sale of his product in "adult book stores" because "they already restrict the entry of minors."

Freezer, who flies around the country in his personal jet trying to abort state attempts to ban his product, indirectly admitted he calls his product a “room odorizer” to keep the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) off his back.

"Trying to sell the FDA on a drug used for hedonistic purposes would subject us to 500 tons of government red tape," Freezer said. "If we'd say it caused a 90-second high to improve orgasm, well, they'd demand tremendous proof.”

Freezer's distributing company retained the services of several respected scientists to contrivute to a booklet which claims there is no proot that his product causes physical harm.

He admitted he got into the popper busiass for financial reasons. But he said the rk-up on Rush is absolutely consistent with mark-up of most cosmetic products..

Freezer said the retailer makes about a $3 ofit on a $6 bottle of Rush, which he says Posts about $2.50 to manufacture. Others have stimated that a bottle of butyl nitrite may cost little as 50 cents to manufacture. e as 50 cents to

Asked if he used his product, Freezer sked, "You mean in the last several hours?" Then he added, "Certainly I use it."

But probably not while adding up his rofits.

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WORLD'S T

Phate by Chello Loftus, Washington, D.C.