Australia: Kava

The general secretary of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga in Australia, Mr
Hala Tupou said banning kava could mean a return of the drunken violence
which plagued remote Aboriginal communities in Arnhem Land before the drink
was introduced from Fiji and Tonga in the 1980s. "Kava might be a problem
if you abuse it, if you drink too much of it, but it is not as bad as what
happens if you abuse alcohol, at least there isn't the violence" he said.
The Federal Minister for Customs, Mr Truss said that under new
restrictions, travellers aged over 18 could import up to two kilograms of
kava ingredients, but not through the mail. A senior lecturer at the
Menzies School of Health Research, Dr Peter D'Abbs supported the
restriction. He said that as well as numbing the mouth and relaxing the
drinker, excessive use caused scaly skin and could cause liver damage and
cardiovascular and vision problems.