What’s the truth behind poppy tea?

The death of a JMU fraternity brother is believed to be connected to the herbal drink

In the early hours of on February 21st, JMU student Steven Austin Underhill was found dead at the Phi Gamma Delta, or Fiji, fraternity house on South Main Street.

The cause of death has not been determined, but the Harrisonburg Police Department is aware that he and his fraternity brothers had consumed the herbal drink, and believes his passing may be linked to Poppy Tea.

Poppy tea is not new on the market, but has just recently entered the JMU college scene. It is a concoction of various substances easily found in a local grocery store, including poppy seeds. The dosage of morphine in Poppy tea varies from batch to batch, creating a blind situation for an unknowing college student.

When brewed, the tea generates a euphoric or hallucinogenic state, making it a “home brewed high.” The issue is not to be taken lightly, as the tea can have serious or potentially lethal results.

There are numerous side affects including nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, dizziness, drowsiness and sedation. Drinking the tea on a daily basis also opens the pathway to addiction, in which the withdrawal stages are far more difficult. If the dosage is too large, poppy tea can cause death through respiratory arrest.

The opium poppy used in heroin is the same opium poppy one might find at their local grocery store, which is why there are similar risks and affects associated with poppy tea as in heroin. The seeds are readily available and can therefore be very easily abused and difficult to regulate.

The Harrisonburg Police Department has taken measures to warn the community about the dangers of poppy tea, and made a press release urging parents and students to discuss the risks of “ingesting any unknown substances or those that are used in an attempt to gain a euphoric state.”

Although the student’s cause of death remain uncertain, police are investigating the situation to find out more. Sergeant for the Criminal Investigation Division, Jason Kidd, told The Tab: “In this case specifically, we will not speculate” as the autopsy results will not be complete for up to 6 months.

“What we want to communicate is that it is a very dangerous mixture,” says Sergeant Kidd, “there is an unpredictable amount of drug in the tea.”

A fraternity brother of Austin’s has set up a GoFundMe page to help support his family through this difficult time.

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