Kava

I know I said I had finished writing advice on drugs but I was surfing the net for something else and came across this one and thought to myself I would write an article on it...Just to let you all know about it and what it does...So here it is...

Kava is a plant that belongs to the pepper family...Piperaceae...It has sedative or relatant effects and this is found in the stump and the roots of this plant...The relaxant ingredient in this plant is called kavalactones...

Fiji, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, use this plant for an important cultural practice...To them Kava drinking helps in strengthening social ties...Alot of people from these areas who have sttled here in Australia have continued this practice of Kava drinking but alot of Australians have taken it up too...Australians are using products too that contain Kava...Some of these products are herbal preperations to help with insomnia and stress relief...

Some of the street names fo this drug are kava kava, lewena, waka, kawa, yaqona,  grog, sakau,  'awa,  'ava, wati . some of these names are used in different countries like fiji and new Guinea...

This was a tradition practice used to help communication with the spirits and to help re affirm status and rank in the community...It was chewed then ground...soaked in water to make a drink for the above rituals...

Since the 1980s Kava has been used heavily for its sedative, hypnotic and the fact it is a muscle relaxant...So it is being used pretty much the same way as alcohol...This was used only for ceremonial and traditional purposes...

What are the effects of this drug...
Drinking in moderation this can make you feel happy, relaxed and sleepy...This can also make the mouth and throat feel numb and make you appetite lower... Whereas in large amounts the effects may be extreme sleepiness feeling sick and a loss of muscle control... When Kava is used excessively the side effects that may happen are bloodshot eyes, dry, scaly skin,  severe weight loss, more open to  to infections, loss of muscle control, shortness of breath, chest pains, high blood pressure, irreversible liver and kidney damage. Along with most drugs I have written about this one too comes with links to mental health issues when used excessively like mood swings, depression and other mental illnesses can become complicated by the use of this...

Kava is not physically addictive but people who use this often can become dependant on it...Feel that they need it...

Kava is not illegal In Australia but it is a controlled substance...Which means it is hard to import this without the relevant paperwork and permission etc...

Whether illegal or not in the hands of an experiementing teen this could be dangerous...This is used for Pacific islanders in rituals...Not abused by teenagers...

Just wanted to share this...
Take care all
Cheers
Angie