It seems like a joke: poppy seeds infused with opioids.
Indeed, it was a plotline on the sitcom Seinfeld. But for some it has been a tragedy.
People have died after consuming tea brewed from unwashed poppy seeds.
And after consuming lemon poppy seed bread or an every part bagel, moms reportedly have been separated from newborns as a result of the ladies failed drug exams.
Poppy seeds come from the plant that produces opium and from which narcotics similar to morphine and codeine are derived. During harvesting and processing, the seeds can turn out to be coated with the opium fluid.
Members of the House and Senate have proposed legislation “to prohibit the distribution and sale of contaminated poppy seeds in order to prevent harm, addiction, and further deaths from morphine-contaminated poppy seeds.” The invoice was certainly one of a number of on the agenda for a Sept. 10 House hearing.
The day earlier than the listening to, The Marshall Project and Reveal reported on a girl who ate a salad with poppy seed dressing earlier than giving delivery, examined optimistic on the hospital for opiates, was reported to youngster welfare, and noticed her child taken into protecting custody. Almost two weeks handed earlier than she was allowed to convey her child dwelling, the story stated.
“It’s not an urban legend: Eating poppy seeds can cause diners to test positive for codeine on a urinalysis,” the Defense Department warned military personnel in 2023.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency way back issued a similar warning to athletes.
The Center for Science within the Public Interest, a watchdog group, petitioned the FDA in 2021 to restrict the opiate content material of poppy seeds. In May, after greater than three years with no response, it sued the agency to power motion.
“So far the FDA has been negligent in protecting consumers,” stated Steve Hacala, whose son died after consuming poppy seed tea and who has joined forces with CSPI.
The lawsuit was placed on maintain in July, after the FDA stated it will reply to the group’s petition by the tip of February 2025.
The FDA didn’t reply questions for this text. The company usually doesn’t touch upon litigation, spokesperson Courtney Rhodes stated.
A 2021 study co-authored by CSPI personnel discovered greater than 100 stories to poison management facilities between 2000 and 2018 ensuing from intentional abuse or misuse of poppy seeds, stated CSPI scientist Eva Greenthal, one of many research’s authors.
Only not often would baked items or different meals gadgets containing washed poppy seeds set off optimistic drug exams, medical doctors who’ve studied the difficulty stated.
It’s “exquisitely doubtful” that the “relatively trivial” quantity of morphine in an every part bagel or the like would trigger anybody hurt, stated Irving Haber, a health care provider who has written about poppy seeds, makes a speciality of ache drugs, and signed the CSPI petition to the FDA.
On the opposite hand, tea constituted of massive portions of unwashed poppy seeds may result in dependancy and overdose, medical doctors stated. The dangers are heightened if the particular person consuming the brew can be consuming different opioids, similar to prescription ache relievers.
Benjamin Lai, a doctor who chairs a program on opioids on the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, stated he has been treating a affected person who developed long-term opioid dependancy from consuming poppy seed tea. The affected person, a person in his 30s, discovered it at a well being meals retailer and was underneath the impression it will assist him loosen up and get well from gymnasium exercises. After a couple of months, he tried to cease and skilled withdrawal signs, Lai stated.
Another affected person, an older lady, developed withdrawal signs underneath comparable circumstances however responded effectively to therapy, Lai stated.
Some web sites tout poppy seed tea as providing well being advantages. And some sellers “may use specific language such as ‘raw,’ ‘unprocessed,’ or ‘unwashed’ to signal that their products contain higher concentrations of opiates than properly processed seeds,” the CSPI lawsuit stated.
Steve Hacala’s son, Stephen Hacala, a music instructor, had been experiencing nervousness and insomnia, for which poppy seed tea is promoted as a pure treatment, the lawsuit stated. In 2016, at age 24, he ordered a bag of poppy seeds on-line, rinsed them with water, and consumed the rinse. He died of morphine poisoning.
The solely supply of morphine present in Stephen’s dwelling, the place he died, was commercially obtainable poppy seeds, a health worker on the Arkansas State Crime Lab stated in a letter to the daddy. The health worker wrote that poppy seeds “very likely” prompted Stephen’s loss of life.
Steve Hacala estimated that the amount of poppy seeds present in a 1-liter plastic water bottle in his son’s dwelling may have delivered greater than 10 occasions a deadly dose.
Steve Hacala and his spouse, Betty, have funded CSPI’s efforts to name consideration to the difficulty. (The writer of KFF Health News, David Rousseau, is on the CSPI board.)
The lawsuit additionally cited moms who, like these within the investigation by The Marshall Project and Reveal, ran afoul of guidelines meant to guard newborns. For instance, although Jamie Silakowski had not used opioids whereas pregnant, she was initially prevented from leaving the hospital together with her child, the go well with stated.
Silakowski recalled that, earlier than going to the hospital, she had eaten lemon poppy seed bread at Tim Hortons, a fast-food chain, CSPI stated in its petition. “No one in the hospital believed Ms. Silakowski or appeared to be aware that the test results could occur from poppy seeds.”
People from youngster protecting providers made unannounced visits to her dwelling, interviewed her different youngsters, and questioned academics at their college, she stated in an interview.
While on maternity go away, she needed to endure drug testing, Silakowski stated. “Peeing in front of someone like I’m a criminal — it was just mortifying.”
Even relations have been questioning her, and there was nothing she may do to dispel doubts, she stated. “Relationships were torn apart,” she stated.
The dad or mum firm of Tim Hortons, Restaurant Brands International, which additionally owns Burger King and Popeyes, didn’t reply to questions from KFF Health News.
In July, The Washington Post reported that Trader Joe’s Everything however the Bagel seasoning was banned and being confiscated in South Korea as a result of it accommodates poppy seeds. Trader Joe’s didn’t reply to inquiries for this text. The seasoning is listed on the market on the corporate’s web site.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency says unwashed poppy seeds can kill when used alone or together with different medicine. While poppy seeds are exempt from drug management underneath the Controlled Substances Act, opium contaminants on the seeds will not be, the company says. The Justice Department has introduced felony prosecutions over the sale of unwashed poppy seeds.
Meanwhile, the laws to regulate poppy seed contamination has not gained a lot traction.
The Senate invoice, launched by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), has two co-sponsors.
The House invoice, launched by Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), has none. Though it was on the agenda, it didn’t come up on the latest listening to.
Healthbeat is a nonprofit newsroom masking public well being printed by Civic News Company and KFF Health News. Sign up for its newsletters here.
David Hilzenrath:
[email protected],
@DavidHilzenrath
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