A former head of the Australian federal police has warned the proposed ban on amyl nitrite -- an inhalant used for sex and short recreational highs -- would be ineffective.
The former AFP commissioner Mick Palmer made the comment in response to a question at the National Press Club on Tuesday, appearing alongside drug safety advocate Matt Noffs to urge a harm minimisation approach to the regulation and policing of all drugs.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has announced its intention to reclassify amyl nitrite because of "increasing reports of misuse and abuse" of the drug, commonly known as "poppers", and cases of retinal damage as a side effect of use.
The move has been opposed -- particularly by the LGBTI community -- on the basis amyl is not addictive and its effect of dilating the user's blood vessels helps receptive sexual partners comfortably enjoy sex.
A similar ban was considered in the United Kingdom but rejected by the conservative government after its advisory body found the use of poppers was "not seen to be capable of having harmful effects sufficient to constitute a societal problem".
