Pros And Cons Of Ja In Fiji

EXCESSIVE KAVA DRINKING AS A HEALTH ISSUE

Kava (Piper methysticum) is an age-old herbal drink that was the beverage of choice for the royal families of the South Pacific (H.Hall, 2008). Also known as Yaqona, kava plays a huge role in Fiji’s culture and day to day life. In Fiji Kava is used as a symbol to bring two groups of people together. Kava is sedating and is primarily consumed to relax without disrupting mental clarity. In small doses, its effects include muscle relaxation, sleepiness and feelings of wellbeing. However, long-term use of kava can lead to a range of health problems, including malnutrition, weight loss and apathy. In some of the Pacific countries it was seen that many cases of liver damage and even some deaths have been

The community realizes that their behavior is becoming a problem and they are aware by being informed of the pros and the cons of changing their behavior. Even with this knowledge the community still has this conflicting reaction towards this change because they prefer to hear views from other members of the community instead of the ones identifying the problem. At this stage the community learns about the type of people they could change into and try to adapt to new ways from people who behave in a more healthy behavior. The community was informed during the village meeting of the pros and cons of excessive use of kava and the effects of it to the village as a whole. It was identified as a big issue by the community member and according to them it’s something that will take time to change and it is understandable from our point of view since this was part of their life when they grew

The community should avoid being carried away and getting tempted by other people especially visitors that come to the village. In order to do this they should hold hands and work together to avoid relapsing and they should be encouraged to talk about healthy behavior when they face stressful situation. As for this community they were able to get through the given period which was six months where the kava drinking was done up to 10pm and no kava for the rest of the months. This behavior continued for a few more months, but as the time goes by they started to go back to their old habit which was drinking kava every day, but the time limit of 10pm was maintained because according to them they couldn’t continue with no kava at all because it’s part of their culture and it’s something that keeps them