HEALTH MINISTRY

updated :- September, 2002.

          Health Warning regarding KAVA.

Over the past year a number of deaths have been reported as a result of liver failure associated with kava use.

Health Canada issued an alert in January 2002, but upon further investigation, Canada along with several countries have banned the product outright.

Other than liver toxicity reported in many cases, there are other effects which include itchy scaly skin, muscle weakness and coordination problems.

Kava is found mainly in herbal and homeopathic preparations. Consumers are advised to check the labels of any such products for the presence of kava, discontinue their use and return them if possible to their place of purchase.

Kava maybe identified by the following names:-

1. Kava kava, kava root, kava pepper, rhizoma di kava-kava
2. Maori kava
3. Ava,ava pepper, ava root
4. Awa
5. Gea
6. Gi
7. intoxicating pepper
8. Kao
9. Piper methysticum
10. Macropiper latifolium
11. Maluk, menuk, milik
12. Kew
13. Sakau
14. Tonga
15. Yagona, yangona, yaqona, yongona

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