Alkyl nitrites were first produced in 1844 to provide relief from chest pain (angina) caused by poor blood flow to the heart, by relaxing narrowed blood vessels throughout the body.
Once safer, more effective alternatives such as nitro-glycerine were developed during the 1960s, medical use of alkyl nitrites decreased— although they continue to be used to treat cyanide poisoning in some countries.
There were also reports of poppers being provided to soldiers in the Vietnam War to help counteract the negative effects of inhaling gun fumes, and short-term inhalants continue to be used in combat situations worldwide.
By the late 1960s, poppers were no longer available over the counter in the United States. However, drug companies quickly rebranded chemicals such as isobutyl nitrite and isopropyl nitrite as room deodorizers. Once again, poppers were widely available in corner stores and head shops throughout the country, and they continue to be sold in retail outlets today. They’ve even occasionally shown up in pop-culture. In the popular and irreverent FX show, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” Season 4, Episode “Mac and Charlie Die,” they make a reference to poppers and use them to “bring Charlie back” after he suffers a concussion. (It should be noted that this is, of course, a horrible misuse of the substance.) The drug was also referenced in the sequel to “Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal.”