[Brad Lockyer]

Australian health authorities have issued an urgent poison warning after 19 people around the country were hospitalised after drinking a popular home-brew poppy seed tea.

NSW Health and the Victorian Department of Health have warned consumers to be take extra care when consuming poppy seed tea after a number of people presented to hospital with symptoms including seizures, severe muscle pain, acute kidney pain, and severe muscle spasms.

Poppy seed tea, as the name suggests is brewed from large amounts of poppy seeds.

It was initially thought it was high levels of a naturally occurring chemical in the seeds that was causing the reaction, but Victorian deputy chief health officer Angie Bone told news.com.au that evidence now suggests there may have been a contaminant present in supermarket poppy seeds.

“However other causes have not been excluded and this is still under investigation,” she added.

Do you drink poppy seed tea?

[Author]

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