Kava Royale – lifting legislative restrictions on kava in the UK

Kava (Piper methysticum) is a mildly intoxicating drink that has for centuries been drunk in the Pacific islands including Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and Vanatu. The active ingredient, known as kavalactones are extracted from the root and mixed with water and drunk from bowls often fashioned from coconut shells. Its mildly anaesthetic, euphoriant and sedative properties have traditionally consumed in ritual and recreation. In contemporary settings kava is being enjoyed in kava bars where people socialise after work. With globalisation kava bars have popped up in unexpected places, including the US, Australia and South Africa.

World Health Organisation: “On balance, the weight-of-evidence from both a long history of use of kava beverage and from the more recent research findings indicates that it is possible for kava beverage to be consumed with an acceptably low level of health risk”.

In the UK, neither recognised as a medicine nor as a consumer product is is restricted. The justifications are weak. This was the view of the  Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) debating the Kava-kava in Food (England) Regulations at the House of Commons on 03/01/2003.

The Government are keen on banning things, except, as reported in the newspapers, sex in public, but I shall not travel down that road. Before banning a substance, we need to be wholly convinced that it is the right action to take. Other courses of action, such as voluntary label warnings, are available to the Government. With St. John’s wort, for example, people who may have liver problems are warned of the potential risks, so that they can make an informed choice about whether to begin or continue using it. Kava-kava is the subject of today’s Committee debate, but it is not the only substance with which we are concerned, because the measure has ramifications for many hundreds of other substances that people use daily to help with various conditions. Kava-kava could be the tip of the iceberg. How many other?

A very good question indeed. Kava regulation is a classic instance of government overreach. the role of activists lies in lifting these restrictions in the name of humanity, so people can enjoy the magic of a Polynesian narcotic brew. A politically more powerful argument is profit, since the UK economy could benefit from ethno-botanical-business opportunities.

Since restrictions are based on public health, over concerns over hepa-toxicity or liver problems, it could be expected that the level restriction would be based on

•  number of people who have contracted severe liver problems
• mortalities from liver disease in the past few years?
• trend analysis

In 2003 The Medicines Control Agency referred to only four cases in the UK. With such evidence it is the Representative for East Worthing and Shoreham asks the minister for assurance

that those people were not taking other supplements that may have affected their condition, either singly or in combination with kava-kava? Without going into great detail, I gather that one person studied was an 87-year-old, who took kava-kava as a supplement in his tea, who died in his sleep. That is not a strange occurrence for an 87-year-old. How sure is the agency that there is a direct link with kava-kava in that case?

How indeed does the government justify the continuing restrictions? Is it not time to re-examine the evidence? We know that the evidence on which the decisions for kava restriction were based was an increase in cases reported in Germany and Switzerland and not on as it is sold and used in Britain.

We suggest that the status of kava is determined by the evidence as they relate to the UK and invite a discussion on how best proceed in making legislative change:

This is the purpose of the webinar?

 

 

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