FAQ

During the love scene with Liberace (Michael Douglas) and Scott (Matt Damon) at the 39-minute mark of the film, Liberace reaches for an object on his bedside table and proceeds to inhale from the object into his nose. He is inhaling what is known in the drug world as a "popper". ''Poppers'' is a slang term given to the chemical class called alkyl nitrites that are inhaled for recreational purposes, especially as an aphrodisiac. Time magazine and the Wall Street Journal have reported that the popper fad began in the 1960s among homosexual men as a way to enhance sexual pleasure. Inhaling nitrites relaxes smooth muscles throughout the body, and are often used as a club drug or to enhance a sexual experience.