Rev Vakadewavosa leads call to stop excessive Yaqona consumption

During the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotima annual conference last week the church president Reverend Epineri Vakadewavosa said the excessive consumption of yaqona (grog) was still an issue that must be addressed.

To make matters worse sometimes marathon grog sessions take place at church minister’s quarters and in church halls.

In 2013 it was agreed at the Bose Ko Viti that yaqona consumption should end at 10pm within church premises and the minister’s qaurters.

Then in 2014 it was agreed, there was to be no yaqona consumption on Sundays until the evening service was done. Excessive yaqona consumption has become a national concern.

In village settings over consumption of yaqona leads to laziness and this has a negative impact on the food security of the family because consumers sleep the whole day and cannot go to the farm to plant more food and vegetables.

On the other hand yaqona when enjoyed in moderation can offer relaxation, reduce anxiety and create social bonding.

According to a report by the Ministry of Health the active ingredients in kava are called kavalactones. There are six types of kavalactones which produce different effects including:

* Memory lapse * Pain relief

* Mood stabilising * Anxiety inhibition * Concentration enhancement * Sleep inducing Different yaqona plants have different combinations of kavalactones - meaning different side effects. The kavalactones are always in the higher concentration at the root of the plant and decrease when you go higher up.

So how much is too much?

On the flipside, excessive yaqona drinking also causes a host of disorders including loss of appetite, bloodshot eyes, lethargy, restlessness, stomach pains and scaling of the skin.

The latter condition, known as kanikani by Fijians, is fairly common among heavy drinkers who may consume up to six litres of the brown brew or more in the course of a grog session – this is far too much for your body to handle.

To reduce your risk of liver damage from yaqona or kava –

• Don’t drink in excess (have at least two kava free nights a week)

• Watch out for mould – use fresh kava

• Don’t mix with alcohol – this puts your liver under stress increasing the risk of seriously damaging it

Watch out for signs of liver damage such as:

Yellow skin or eyes, bleeding easily, swollen abdomen, chronic nausea, chronic loss of appetite

Symptoms of liver hepatoxicity include – nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, tiredness, weakness, jaundice, yellow eyes, yellow skin, enlarged liver, abnormal liver function test result, swelling feet.

If you or anyone you know shows any of the above symptoms you must seek medical treatment immediately. And it isn’t just your health that kava can have a bad effect on, it also can create other kinds of complications.

Taking kava in moderation means that you can still enjoy this wonderful drink, but avoid some of the more negative effects on your body and your family.