Sam Smith has confessed to inhaling alkyl nitrites – commonly known as “poppers” – with Nicole Scherzinger.
In a recent interview with Andy Cohen, Smith was asked about a report last December in UK tabloid The Sun that they were spotted with Scherzinger and her beau Thom Evans sniffing poppers at a London gay bar.
“I honestly didn’t think anyone could see us,” Smith said. “Yeah, we just got a bit rowdy and a bit…yeah, it was fabulous.”
Poppers is the nickname for a range of chemicals known as vasodilators that, when inhaled, give a rush of euphoria and loosen muscles. They are illegal to sell in Canada. In the U.S. and UK, there are restrictions on how they are marketed but they are legal to possess.
Smith, who adopted gender-neutral pronouns last year, said they were previously reluctant to talk about using poppers. “Some people would look at that and think that it’s not good,” they said. “And I’m not trying to endorse that because I know they’re not good for you. But booze isn’t good for you as well, right?
“But it’s not the same thing, it’s not the same thing.”