Local Practice:

Afvun (opium) is extracted from poppy capsules in June/July. By making a small vertical or oblique incision into the poppy capsule with a blade, being careful not to cut through the inner wall, a liquid exudes and soon hardens on contact with the air. This is left overnight and collected the next day, shaped and stored for later use. Opium is given in small doses (taken orally or smoked neat or in a cigarette) as a pain killer or as a sedative for scorpion bites. In some places it is given to those with Garooti (leprocy). It is also used by some as an aphrodisiac as it stimulates the sense of pleasure and increases physical vigour. Seeds are mixed with tea and are given to patients with nasal and chest congestion, bronchitis and Yor Chokique(sunstroke).

Historical Use:






Poppy seeds contain good levels of minerals like iron, copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and magnesiumCopper is required in the production of red blood cells. Zinc is a co-factor in many enzymes that regulate growth and development, sperm generation, digestion and nucleic acid synthesis.Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the powerful anti-oxidant enzyme,superoxide dismutase.

Dried poppy seeds contain very small levels of opium alkaloids such as morphine, thebaine, codiene, papaverine etc. When consumed in food, these compounds produce a minimal effect when consumed on the human nervous system. On the contrary, the chemicals have beneficial effects on the human body; soothe nervous irritability, act as painkillers, and used in pharmacy as well as in many traditional medicines in the preparations of cough mixtures, expectorants etc.

Local Name Afyun
Botanical Name Papaver somniferum
Part used The air-dried milky latex obtained from the unripened capsule; also seeds
Locally used for Nasal and chest congestion, Yor Chokique (sunstroke),Gar00ti (leprocy), toothache, as an anaesthetic for wounds and scorpion bites and as an aphrodisiac.