Pope’s Coca Drink: Pope Francis Visits Bolivia, Samples Unique In-Flight Tea Made From Coca Leaves

The Pope’s coca drink is making headlines this week after he had an in-flight tea made from coca leaves that is used to curb altitude sickness. According to NBC News, Pope Francis was given the drink when he flew to Bolivia. La Paz is known as the world’s highest administrative capital, with an elevation of 12,087 feet above sea level.

“Sitting at an altitude of 13,000 feet, La Paz has air 30 percent thinner than at sea level and the reduced oxygen level can cause fatigue, headaches and shortness of breath. That was a real concern for Francis, who has had part of one lung removed as a child due to an infection.”

Pope Francis’ coca drink was made from coca leaves, chamomile, and anise seeds. Coca leaves are illegal in the United States, as they contain cocaine. The psychoactive alkaloid is used as a “mild stimulant,” and allowed the Pope to travel without getting ill. Even still, he only stayed in La Paz for a few hours before moving on to Santa Cruz de La Sierra.

Many people became concerned that the Pope was given cocaine, but it’s not what you might think. According to the Guardian, coca is the main ingredient in cocaine, but when it’s used to help people with various ailments (pain, fatigue, etc.), it’s not looked at as a narcotic by those who use it. In fact, the report indicates that people in Bolivia would compare drinking coca tea to drinking coffee.

“As well as warding off altitude sickness, chewing coca leaves (which are held in the cheek) or drinking a brew, just like the pope, provides physical and mental stimulation but nothing like the cocaine high. It’s also an ingredient in toothpaste, lotions, and shampoo.”

The Pope is not the only pope to have a coca drink when traveling to high altitudes, either. Pope John Paul II drank a coca tea in 1988 when traveling to La Paz, and Pope Paul VI drank it in 1968 when traveling to the Andes.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the use of coca leaves has been debated for quite some time.

“In 2013, the United Nations voted to allow the coca leaves to be chewed in Bolivia. The legalization came after only fifteen countries voted against legalizing the coca leaves. Although it is still considered illegal elsewhere in the world, Bolivia has maintained legalization because it is not used for narcotic pleasure, instead as a traditional medicine.”

[Photo by Franco Origlia / Getty Images]