The term extended to the drug in any form as well as to other drugs with similar effects, e.g. butyl nitrite which is packaged under a variety of trade names in small bottles.
In the late 1970s Time magazine and The Wall Street Journal reported that popper use among gay men began as a way to enhance sexual pleasure, but 'quickly spread to avant-garde heterosexuals'. A series of interviews conducted in the late 1970s revealed a wide spectrum of users.
