New resource on kava use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
October 2019
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Knowledge Centre has released a Summary of kava use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
This summary is based on the Review of kava use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people written by NDRI’s Dr Julia Butt. The summary aims to provide an overview of key information on kava use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with a specific focus on Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
The summary contains easy-to-understand information on:
- health effects of kava
- kava use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
- kava use in Arnhem Land
- regulation of kava in Australia
- strategies to address kava related harm.
The summary highlights the need for an increase in services available to people who use kava. It also raises the need for policy approaches that take into consideration the underlying factors that lead to drug use. These approaches must be done in a way that ensures community ownership and self-determination to address not only kava use but the overall health and wellbeing of Arnhem Land communities.
This resource is part of a series of knowledge exchange products produced by the Alcohol and other Drugs Knowledge Centre that provide up-to-date information about alcohol and other drug use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Access the full suite of knowledge exchange products here.
