Australia's former Deputy PM Michael McCormack was taken to hospital after he drank or rather gulped an entire bowl of Kava, during a diplomatic tour of Micronesia.

McCormack was part of a bipartisan Australian parliamentary delegation that was touring the Pacific region and they were visiting Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia to commemorate the 35th anniversary of bilateral relations, where they were treated to a medley of traditional dances and traditional drinks like Sakau, a form of Kava.

He claimed he went 'çross-eyed' and slept for 14 hours thereafter, according to a report in the Guardian. His ignorance of the local drink that was served to him, made him down an entire shell of Sakau, a traditional Micronesian Kava with sedative qualities made from the root of the pepper plant. Further reports in the Guardian say that he did so because he felt he was trying to be respectful of their traditions.

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What is Kava really? It is said to not be alcoholic and yet have sedative, narcotic properties that can lower anxiety and also numb pain. Sakau what the locals in Micronesia call Kava is a drug that is made from the ground roots of the plant Piper methysticum, a member of the pepper family that also includes Black Pepper.

And the way to drink Kava varies from place to place. Like, In Fiji, one is advised to drink Kava in one gulp if possible. Perhaps former minister McCormack felt it would be the same everywhere!

According to Pohnpeian folklore, Sakau is supposed to be a gift from the gods and is usually served in a coconut shell, the state symbol of Pohnpei. It is made by pounding on the root of the Kava plant and then straining it through the bark of the sea hibiscus tree.

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After he was taken to a local hospital for treatment for dehydration, he learned the hard way that Sakau is a much stronger version and one should sip it instead of gulping it.

It’s known for being one of the stronger Kavas and it is generally recommended that one should sip it because there is very little water added to the roots when making the drink. Since the root is in plentiful supply, the powder is rarely used and the hibiscus bark, which makes the Micronesian kava unique is known for its pain-numbing and heady qualities that can give one a nice feeling and a 'buzz' if consumed slowly.

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Australia's former Deputy PM Michael McCormack was taken to hospital after he drank or rather gulped an entire bowl of Kava, during a diplomatic tour of Micronesia.

Australia's former Deputy PM Michael McCormack was taken to hospital after he drank or rather gulped an entire bowl of Kava, during a diplomatic tour of Micronesia. McCormack was part of a bipartisan Australian parliamentary delegation that was touring the Pacific region and they were visiting Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia to commemorate the 35th anniversary of bilateral relations, where they were treated to a medley of traditional dances and traditional drinks like Sakau, a form of Kava. He claimed he went 'çross-eyed' and slept for 14 hours thereafter, according to a report in the Guardian. His ignorance of the local drink that was served to him, made him down an entire shell of Sakau, a traditional Micronesian Kava with sedative qualities made from the root of the pepper plant. Further reports in the Guardian say that he did so because he felt he was trying to be respectful of their traditions. Also read | PM Modi holds phone conversation with Putin, reviews energy, defence ties What is Kava really? It is said to not be alcoholic and yet have sedative, narcotic properties that can lower anxiety and also numb pain. Sakau what the locals in Micronesia call Kava is a drug that is made from the ground roots of the plant Piper methysticum, a member of the pepper family that also includes Black Pepper. And the way to drink Kava varies from place to place. Like, In Fiji, one is advised to drink Kava in one gulp if possible. Perhaps former minister McCormack felt it would be the same everywhere! According to Pohnpeian folklore, Sakau is supposed to be a gift from the gods and is usually served in a coconut shell, the state symbol of Pohnpei. It is made by pounding on the root of the Kava plant and then straining it through the bark of the sea hibiscus tree. Also read | 'New low even for Pakistan': India strongly condemns Billawal Bhutto's comment After he was taken to a local hospital for treatment for dehydration, he learned the hard way that Sakau is a much stronger version and one should sip it instead of gulping it. It’s known for being one of the stronger Kavas and it is generally recommended that one should sip it because there is very little water added to the roots when making the drink. Since the root is in plentiful supply, the powder is rarely used and the hibiscus bark, which makes the Micronesian kava unique is known for its pain-numbing and heady qualities that can give one a nice feeling and a 'buzz' if consumed slowly.

Know Your Kava: The mystery drink that made former Australian Deputy PM throw up

The junior partner in Australia&#39;s coalition government elected as its new leader on Monday a former newspaper editor who takes over as deputy prime minister after an embarrassing sex scandal threatened a decades-old conservative alliance.

Michael McCormack was chosen in a party-room ballot to replace Barnaby Joyce as the leader of the rural-based National Party after Joyce, who campaigned on family values, resigned over an extramarital affair with his former media secretary.

Joyce is expecting a child with his former staff member and has left his marriage of 24 years. He resisted weeks of pressure to quit but said on Friday he would resign as party leader after a new allegation of sexual harassment emerged.

Under the terms of the coalition deal with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull&#39;s centre-right Liberal Party, the leader of the Nationals automatically becomes deputy prime minister.

The drawn-out saga over Joyce&#39;s extramarital affair had threatened to fracture the alliance between the Liberals and Nationals that has been in place for almost 100 years.

McCormack won the party-room vote over a single challenger, George Christensen, who had proposed breaking the alliance with the Nationals&#39; senior partner.

&quot;I will honour that faith and trust and responsibility by always doing my best,&quot; McCormack told reporters in Canberra.

The alliance suffered during a public falling-out between Turnbull and Joyce over the deputy leader&#39;s affair. Turnbull described it as a &quot;shocking error of judgment&quot;, to which Joyce replied by calling Turnbull &quot;inept&quot;.

Turnbull pointedly did not leave Joyce as acting prime minister when he left Australia last week for meetings with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump in Washington.

McCormack has kept a low profile in recent years but his appointment is not without controversy. He was forced to apologise for stridently homophobic comments he made in an editorial when he was running a rural newspaper in 1993.

Turnbull, also a former journalist, welcomed McCormack&#39;s appointment.

&quot;Our enduring and successful political partnership will continue under Michael&rsquo;s leadership of the National Party,&quot; Turnbull said in an emailed statement.

Political analysts saw McCormack&#39;s low profile as an early obstacle before elections due by May 2019.

&quot;It will take quite a bit of time before McCormack registers with voters in rural and regional Australia,&quot; said Haydon Manning, a political science professor at Flinders University in South Australia.

&quot;Turnbull doesn&#39;t have much time before the election and he losses his best asset in Joyce, who is without doubt the best retail politician,&quot; he said.

Joyce now moves to the backbench. Little-known outside Australia, he made international headlines in 2015 when he deported two dogs brought into Australia by US&nbsp;actor Johnny Depp without the proper paperwork, a row that became known as the &quot;war on terrier&quot;. 
&nbsp;

Michael McCormack was chosen in a party-room ballot to replace Barnaby Joyce as the leader of the rural-based National Party

The junior partner in Australia's coalition government elected as its new leader on Monday a former newspaper editor who takes over as deputy prime minister after an embarrassing sex scandal threatened a decades-old conservative alliance. Michael McCormack was chosen in a party-room ballot to replace Barnaby Joyce as the leader of the rural-based National Party after Joyce, who campaigned on family values, resigned over an extramarital affair with his former media secretary. Joyce is expecting a child with his former staff member and has left his marriage of 24 years. He resisted weeks of pressure to quit but said on Friday he would resign as party leader after a new allegation of sexual harassment emerged. Under the terms of the coalition deal with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's centre-right Liberal Party, the leader of the Nationals automatically becomes deputy prime minister. The drawn-out saga over Joyce's extramarital affair had threatened to fracture the alliance between the Liberals and Nationals that has been in place for almost 100 years. McCormack won the party-room vote over a single challenger, George Christensen, who had proposed breaking the alliance with the Nationals' senior partner. "I will honour that faith and trust and responsibility by always doing my best," McCormack told reporters in Canberra. The alliance suffered during a public falling-out between Turnbull and Joyce over the deputy leader's affair. Turnbull described it as a "shocking error of judgment", to which Joyce replied by calling Turnbull "inept". Turnbull pointedly did not leave Joyce as acting prime minister when he left Australia last week for meetings with US President Donald Trump in Washington. McCormack has kept a low profile in recent years but his appointment is not without controversy. He was forced to apologise for stridently homophobic comments he made in an editorial when he was running a rural newspaper in 1993. Turnbull, also a former journalist, welcomed McCormack's appointment. "Our enduring and successful political partnership will continue under Michael’s leadership of the National Party," Turnbull said in an emailed statement. Political analysts saw McCormack's low profile as an early obstacle before elections due by May 2019. "It will take quite a bit of time before McCormack registers with voters in rural and regional Australia," said Haydon Manning, a political science professor at Flinders University in South Australia. "Turnbull doesn't have much time before the election and he losses his best asset in Joyce, who is without doubt the best retail politician," he said. Joyce now moves to the backbench. Little-known outside Australia, he made international headlines in 2015 when he deported two dogs brought into Australia by US actor Johnny Depp without the proper paperwork, a row that became known as the "war on terrier".

New deputy leader for Australia after sex scandal forces party shake-up

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Know Your Kava: The mystery drink that made former Australian Deputy PM throw up

New deputy leader for Australia after sex scandal forces party shake-up