Does a Medicinal Dose of Kava Impair Driving? A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Study

Overview: Increasing concerns over the potentially impairing effects of prescriptive sedative drugs such as benzodiazepines on driving have been raised. However, other alternatives such as natural medicines may also carry similar risks with respect to driving safety. Kava (Piper methysticum) is a psychotropic plant commonly used both recreationally and medicinally in the United States, Australia, and the South Pacific to elicit a physically tranquilizing effect. To date no controlled study has tested a medicinal dose of kava versus placebo and a standard sedative drug on driving ability and driving safety. Objective: Due to the need to establish the safety of kava in operating a motor vehicle, we compared the acute effects of the plant extract versus the benzodiazepine oxazepam and placebo using a driving simulator. Methods: A driving simulator (AusEd) was used by 22 adults aged between 18 and 65 years after being randomly administered an acute medicinal dose of kava (180 mg of kavalactones), oxazepam (30...