How Kava Is An Herb Of The Western Pacific Islands

Kava is an herb found in the western pacific islands. Kava is a sacred plant that had been used in multiple varieties of ways, particularly ceremonially and medicinally, in the western pacific for centuries. Kava is used to â€Å"relieve anxiety, restlessness, sleeplessness, and stress-related symptoms such as muscle tension or spasm. Kava may also relieve pain†. Kava comes in many forms, the traditional one being tea, but also â€Å"as a dietary supplement in powder and tincture (extract in alcohol) forms†. Does it work? Well, according to WebMD (not the greatest source, but it is the source for many Americans on basic health information so I am using it in my paper as a baseline for American understanding of kava) kava is known to have, â€Å"a calming†¦show more content†¦In the United States though, kava is fully legal in every capacity. The most serious concern about kava is the effect kava has on those who take it and then try to operate a motor vehicle. One study published in the Journal, Public Library of Science investigated the, â€Å"the association between kava use and the risk of four-wheeled motor vehicle crashes in Fiji†. This study was a, â€Å"population-based case-control study. Data was collected by structured interviewer administered questionnaires of self-reported participant data on demographic characteristics and a range of risk factors including kava use and potential confounders†. This study found that, â€Å"overall, 23% and 4% of drivers of case and control vehicles, respectively, reported consuming kava in the 12 hours prior to the crash or road survey. After controlling for assessed confounders, driving following kava use was associated with a four-fold increase in the odds of crash involvement (Odds ratio: 4.70; 95% CI: 1.90-11.63). The related population attributable risk was 18.37% (95% CI: 13.77-22.72). Acknowledging limited statistical power, we did not find a significant interaction in this association with concurrent alcohol use†. This study concluded that, â€Å"in a setting where recreational kava consumption is common, driving following the use of kava was associated with a significant excess of serious-injury involved road crashes. The precautionary principle would suggest road safety strategies should explicitly