words by Carol King Drive-in love bays have been set up by the Solfatara volcanic crater at Pozzuoli, near Naples, according to the British newspaper ‘MailOnline’. The newspaper reports that visitors can book parking bays by the crater. Each bay offers privacy and, after visitors drive in and park, they can close off prying eyes by drawing a curtain. The bays’ proximity to the crater means users will breath in the fumes from the volcano. The fumes are said to arouse and excite users, acting like a natural version of Viagra. Solfatara is a dormant volcano that still emits jets of steam with sulphurous fumes. The fumes contain hydrogen sulphide, a colourless gas that smells of rotten eggs. It is very poisonous, corrosive, flammable and explosive. However, scientists are reported to have said that in small doses, hydrogen sulphide helps men with erectile problems. It increases blood flow and relaxes nerves in muscles that control an erection. The Italian volcano made headlines in 2009 when the American National Academy of Sciences published a study by American pharmacologist and Nobel Prize winner professor Louis Ignarro in co-operation with Giuseppe Cirino, Vincenzo Mirone and Roberta d’Emanuele from the University of Naples. The scientists discovered two enzymes in the tissue of the male organ that produce hydrogen sulphide, which causes vasodilation and hence the male erection. The management team at Solfatara were quick to point out the possible benefits of the volcanic fumes on the local townspeople, saying “the town where, may be only by chance, weddings never decrease and the number of births exceeds 1,000 babies per year.” In addition to the drive-in bays, Solfatara also has a campsite that provides guests with contraception and leaflets about safe sex.
