A study published on April 2 found that the number of calls to U.S. poison centers about kava, a drug found in drinks marketed as an alternative to alcohol, rose sharply over the past 15 years or so.
Poison centers received 203 calls related to kava in 2025, up from about 57 calls in 2011, according to a research paper from the University of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Poison Center. Men aged 20 and older accounted for the largest number of kava-related calls, it found.
