The root of the problem?
Marketed to the sober-curious as a squeaky-clean swap for alcohol, one drink additive is the culprit behind a massive spike in poison reports between 2011 and 2025, according to a new study out of the University of Virginia.
Kava, a tropical plant native to the Pacific Islands, has been used as a ceremonial drink among indigenous peoples in Fiji and across the South Pacific for thousands of years.
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