Linda Williams, a regular at the Carrboro kava lounge Krave, brought her son in every day for a week to help him detox from suboxone, a highly addictive drug used to treat opiate addiction.

He began drinking kratom tea, which comes from a plant naturally occurring in Southeast Asia. Kratom targets the same opiate receptors as drugs like heroin in a way that staves off dependence.

“He said (to me), ‘I can’t believe it. I feel good, I’m talking to people, and normally, after three days without something, I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed.’ Detoxing without anything is absolutely horrible,” Williams said. “I’m so glad this place is here.”

On Saturday, Krave hosted Kava with a Cop, a free community event during which residents of Carrboro and Chapel Hill could sit down with local law enforcement officers.

An herbal drink native to the South Pacific, kava offers a means for Carrboro and Chapel Hill residents between the ages of 18 and 21 to socialize and relax without the risks of alcohol.