In October , we delivered a national poppy seeds training session attended by GPs specialist doctors , prescribers , peer support workers , team leaders and recovery workers . The feedback ranged from people admitting they ’ d never heard of addiction to poppy seeds , to others saying they ’ d seen some clients but their knowledge was limited . Our aim was to raise awareness of the issue , how to engage with clients , and the treatment we provide .

Poppy seeds come from the plant that produces opium , but possess no opium content themselves . Instead , the opium alkaloids are found in the poppy

latex , which is a milky white fluid that exudes from the pod when it ’ s cut . During harvesting and processing , however , the seeds can become coated with the opium fluid .

Washed and processed poppy seeds are used in pastries , cakes , porridge and other foods . People also take poppy seeds by mouth for asthma and other conditions , while poppy seed oil is used in manufacturing to make soap , paint and varnish . Depending on the methods of harvesting and geographical origin of the plant , unwashed poppy seeds may have higher amounts of opium alkaloids such as morphine , codeine and thebaine on their seed coats compared to washed poppy seeds . Farmers who wish to increase the opium alkaloid content on the poppy seed make cuts in the opium pods before they ripen , which allows the latex to seep onto the seeds .

In fact , consuming certain poppy seed food products can

lead to a positive urine test result for opiates – as little as one bagel or muffin can affect results for up to 60 hours – and when someone discontinues the regular use of unwashed poppy seeds , it can produce the same symptoms as withdrawing from any other opiate .

Unwashed poppy seeds are usually crushed and ground down to make into tea – or the pods are put directly into the tea – and in the US deaths associated with use of unwashed poppy seed tea have been reported in the scientific literature .

In the Punjabi community in India – and here in Leicester – it ’ s socially acceptable to drink poppy seed tea . We ’ ve been to community events in places like Gurdwaras where older Punjabi men laugh it off and say it ’ s just ‘ doda ’ or ‘ afeem ’ – the Punjabi words for poppy seeds . Even younger people at the gym will mention that their friends use it . It ’ s so commonly used that

Unwashed poppy seeds are available online , often labelled as ‘ organic ’ or ‘ natural ’.

it ’ s not even considered a drug , rather something that helps with anxiety and stress , and we also see it used by builders who say it helps them work harder .

However , due to changes in availability and cost over recent years , it ’ s become a bigger problem . In the past you could buy it very cheaply , but prices

Leonid Nyshko / Alamy