Big Brother Knows What's Best for You

As many of you may or may not know, Health Canada forced all retailers of alkyl nitrates ("poppers", "aromas", "leather cleaners") to pull all their product off the shelves this summer, citing concerns of possible fatal consequences of inhaling the fumes, particularly in a dangerous combination with heart medications, erectile enhancers like Viagra and Cialis, alcohol, or illicit drugs. Since then Canadian gay men have been figuring out ways to get their hands on product, and the only distributor of these products in Canada (and one of the largest in the world) is now taking Health Canada to court.

http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2013/29269a-eng.php
http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2013/34343a-eng.php


Firm challenges Health Canada over designation

BY KEITH FRASER, THE PROVINCE SEPTEMBER 23, 2013

A B.C. company that was ordered to stop selling leather cleaners used on items in the niche market of sexual fetishism - including bondage - is taking the federal government to court. The leather cleaners produced by Lockerroom Marketing Ltd. contain alkyl nitrites.

But in May, Health Canada agents accompanied by Delta police conducted an inspection of the company warehouse in Delta and asked that the firm cease any further sales and recall any sold products.

Due to the presence of alkyl nitrites, Health Canada designated the cleaners a drug, a designation that the company is now challenging in the Federal Court.

Also in May, Health Canada issued a warning that the cleaners used by Lockerroom and several other Canadian companies were known to be used by consumers to get high and may pose serious risks to health if they are inhaled.

But Richard Fowler, a lawyer for Lockerroom, said the products have been sold for 20 years and there's been no indications of any health concerns.

Fowler said he understood Health Canada took its actions because a woman who works in a sex shop in Vancouver was fired and then complained about a leather cleaner that was being sold in the shop, claiming it had a negative effect on her. "I understand workers' compensation came and got involved and then that was reported to Health Canada. It's arising from an employment case by somebody miffed that they got fired."

Health Canada could not be reached for comment on the application.

The May warning by the government agency said the three products sold by Lockerroom - Rochefort, Rush and Amsterdam Special - were commonly known as poppers, labelled to contain alkyl nitrites.

kfraser@theprovince.com twitter.com/keithrfraser

© Copyright (c) The Province

I'll cut the bitch that squealed! LOL

Apparently Health Canada did the same thing about 15 years ago, however I can't find any information stating such. For those I've talked to that remember the ban the last time, it only lasted less than a year before product returned to the shelves. I wonder how much difficulty Health Canada will have this time; they may have a challenge trying to prove the causation between the product's distribution in Canada, it's misuse, and it's potential health dangers. Given that gay men and kinksters around the world have been using the product for decades, that it's readily available pretty much everywhere else around the world, and that it is a sizeable amount of the revenue a lot of small local businesses generate, one can only hope that the products are allowed in Canada again soon.

I get the feeling that our despotic Conservative Harper Government is instilling their moral judgment on Canadian citizens once again....is it not a coincidence that this is happening during the Harper mandate? I hope a moralistic move like this gets quashed quickly in a court of law.