In a sweeping FDA crackdown, Double Scorpio, one of the most recognizable poppers brands, has announced it is shutting down all operations after a search and seizure by the FDA. The company confirmed the closure on March 13, 2025, after wiping its website and social media.
“We’ve always cared about making an authentic product and supporting our community… Thanks for everything… and remember, keep supporting queer businesses, creators, and your local queens.” – Double Scorpio
This sudden enforcement signals a dramatic shift in government policy, with other popper manufacturers also facing raids and shutdowns. Rush, Jungle Juice, and other well-known brands are reportedly being targeted, with some erasing their online presence entirely.
Why Is the FDA Cracking Down Now?
Poppers, also known as alkyl nitrites, have long existed in a legal grey area. They are technically prescription drugs, but manufacturers have avoided regulation by selling them as cleaning products like leather polish and nail polish remover.
Until now, the FDA has largely ignored poppers, aside from issuing occasional warnings about health risks. However, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. now in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency is taking an aggressive new stance.
RFK Jr.’s Controversial Views on Poppers and Public Health
The FDA’s recent crackdown on poppers comes amid renewed discussion about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s past statements on public health issues.
RFK Jr. has previously questioned the role of HIV in causing AIDS, instead suggesting that poppers use among gay men was a primary factor. This theory, which he has referenced in interviews and writings, is widely rejected by the scientific community, as the overwhelming medical consensus confirms that HIV causes AIDS—a fact supported by decades of research, including a Nobel Prize-winning discovery.
In a resurfaced video, RFK Jr. stated:
“A hundred percent of the people who died in the first thousand [with] AIDS were people who were addicted to poppers… which are known to cause Kaposi sarcoma in rats.”
Beyond his views on poppers, RFK Jr. has also made controversial claims about other health topics, including suggesting that COVID-19 was designed to spare Jewish and Chinese people and that Lyme disease may have been developed as a bioweapon.
These statements have drawn criticism from health experts and LGBTQ+ advocates, who argue that they undermine public trust in established science and evidence-based medicine. Some groups have expressed concern about his leadership of the Department of Health and Human Services, particularly regarding policies that impact marginalized communities.
As the FDA’s enforcement actions unfold, the role of scientific research, regulatory decisions, and public health policy will likely remain a point of discussion in the broader conversation around popper regulation.
LGBTQ+ Community Targeted While More Harmful Substances Remain Legal
The FDA’s sudden attack on poppers is part of a larger pattern of selective law enforcement that disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ communities.
- Tobacco, alcohol, and pharmaceuticals—all of which are far more dangerous than poppers—continue to be heavily marketed and widely available.
- The Trump administration has made no move to ban opioids, cigarettes, or alcohol, despite their well-documented health risks.
- Yet poppers, a substance primarily used within the LGBTQ+ community, are being aggressively shut down under the guise of public health.
This crackdown follows similar moves in New Zealand, where the Labour Government effectively banned poppers in 2020 by making them prescription-only, despite evidence that such restrictions only push substances underground and make them more dangerous.
What’s Next?
The FDA’s targeted shutdowns suggest that the Trump administration, with RFK Jr. leading public health policy, is setting the stage for even greater restrictions on LGBTQ+ spaces and culture.
Is this just the beginning? Many fear that this isn’t just about poppers, but rather part of a broader effort to control and suppress queer nightlife, health, and autonomy.
For now, major poppers brands have been wiped from the market, and it’s unclear if or when they’ll return.
