Unwashed poppy seed use: CNWL Addictions wins prize from the Society for the Study of Addiction

There is widespread misconception about the safety of unwashed poppy seed use amongst patients. Opioid dependence may be caused by excessive unwashed poppy seed use.

Noticing a rise in cases of poppy seed addiction among Punjabi men, the ARCH (Hillingdon Addictions) team set out to study this trend, sharing their findings with professionals at the annual Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA) Conference in Newcastle last week.

Dr Jeff Fehler, Addictions Clinical Director, reflected on the team’s work:

“The team were struck by the growing numbers of Punjabi men (born in India and typically construction workers) who had unwittingly developed addiction to poppy seeds. All believed that this commonly used food product was safe, even when consumed in large quantities.

"It is specifically unwashed poppy seeds (usually crushed and made into tea) that have psychoactive properties and these are widely available from smaller retail outlets and often in large quantities.

“This appears to be a west London problem disproportionately impacting our Punjabi population. We now need to reach out to this community and highlight this emerging public health concern.”

The team has developed an abstract, which was not only accepted for presentation as a poster at the SSA Conference but also won the prize for ‘most innovative’ poster. The judges commended the poster for addressing a novel issue in the field and providing a clear, compelling overview of its importance.

Read more on this poster

The SSA is dedicated to advancing the scientific understanding of addiction, and the organisation marked its 140th anniversary this year.