Khat chewing practice and associated factors among adults. Importation of khat leaves from ethiopia, kenya and. Caffeine, alcohol, khat, and tobacco use during pregnancy. Chronic abuse of khat can cause physical exhaustion. Data were extracted using a standardized data extraction format prepared in. About a third of the production is exported to djibouti and somalia, but the. Although khat is used by different groups of the society, overstated prevalence of khat consumption marks to. The khat farmer, trader, and majority of chewers are deeply tied to the leaves for historical, economic and cultural reasons. Likewise, pregnant women are recommended to avoid alcohol, khat and tobacco use. Attempts, albeit unsuccessful, have been made to link the use of khat with serious health issues such as psychosis, insomnia, paranoia, and depression. The law in ethiopia does not include free basic education or a compulsory age for education, leaving children vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor. Prevalence of khat chewing and associated factors in ethiopia.
In many parts of ethiopia, khat catha edulis has emerged from an obscure. Ethiopia the situation of children is one of general malnutrition, poor hygiene, lack or shortage of proper clothing, essential social services such as health, education, and recreation and displacement due to natural and manmade disasters. Khat is ethiopias third largest export, next to coffee and oil seed. Legal status of khat in selected jurisdictions library of congress. What is now needed is empirical research that identifies the impairment effects of khat grounded in social understanding of how khat is used. The eastern part of ethiopia is generally known for its cash crop production, predominantly khat and coffee, and food crop deficit 1. Khat chewing practice and associated factors among adults in. The following chart summarizes the legal status khat of catha edulis, also known as kat, qat, chat, and miraa, a plant whose leaves have. Chewing over khat prohibition transnational institute. Poor academic performance has been associated with khat.
Methods the study used the 2011 ethiopian demographic. An estimated 25,000 kilograms per day are sold at the awaday market. Open access protocol prevalence and associated factors of. However, the lack of consistency in the methods and instruments used in different studies limits the ability to compare population groups and to monitor changes over time. Democratic republic of ethiopia and includes the addis ababa and dire dawa city administrations. Khat is a flowering plant native to east africa and contains traces of cathine and cathinone, which are. Khat and the creation of tradition in the somali diaspora axel klein in the somali community in the uk, few issues are as contentious as the status of khat. Agriculture in ethiopia is the foundation of the countrys economy, accounting for half of gross domestic product gdp, 83. The habit of khat consumption is a deeply rooted social and cultural tra dition in yemen, ethiopia, somalia, and djibouti. Ethiopia 2017 findings on the worst forms of child labor 1. Aug 20, 2002 khat is banned in the united states and canada, but ethiopia s central government has no clear policy on the stimulant.
This study aimed to identify factors associated with khat chewing practice among ethiopian adults. Khat, catha edulis, is a flowering shrub native to east africa and the arabianpeninsula. Smallholders have limited financial resources for the investment. Qat aka chat, jaad, or khat, is legal and widely popular in ethiopia, the horn of africa, and southern arabia. It has various negative physical, mental, social and cognitive effects. Khat is banned in the united states and canada, but ethiopias central government has no clear policy on the stimulant. Children also perform dangerous tasks in agriculture. Chewing qat aka getting high in yemen wandering earl. Khat was first discovered as celastraceaeedulisas plant by a swedish botanist, peter forskal, during an expedition to egypt and yemen in 17611763d1, 2. Among communities from the areas where the plant is native, khat chewing has a history as a social custom dating back thousands of years. Khat originated in ethiopia and spread through kenya, somalia, djibouti, uganda, tanzania, zimbabwe, zambia, south africa, and yemen. Available literature showed that khat is a plant native to the horn of africa as early as in the 14 th century. The problems of homelessness including those of street children, child labour and addiction to khat.
By the staff of the global legal research directorate. Thus, this study was undertaken among khat chewers in mekelle town, northern ethiopia to investigate socioeconomic and healthrelated effects of khat chewing. Chewing of the leaves of the plant called khat catha edulis forsk is a common habit in some countries of. Prevalence and predictors of khat chewing among ethiopian. If theres one word that i heard more than any other during my stay in yemen, it is the word qat. Individuals chew khat leaves because of the stimulant effects, which are similar to but less intense than those caused by using cocaine or methamphetamine. Importation of khat leaves from ethiopia, kenya and cambodia to hong kong as a general alert from the hong kong customs, they would like to draw you attention to a prevailing trend of drug trafficking in hong kong. Prevalence and factors associated with use of khat.
Duty to pay tax any person who possessing, carrying or otherwise handling chat for sale or destined for sale shall be liable to pay the tax levied under this proclamation. Every afternoon, the drowsy streets come alive with the arrival of a pickup truck filled with khat freshly harvested fagots, directly from the city of harar northeast, one of the main production centers of. Khat farmers in its native regions do not grow the plants using seeds. Rejuvenation of coffee farms is investment intensive. Close to two million farming households establish their livelihood on the crop. It has been widely used since the thirteenth century as a recreational drug by the. Given the scale of public investment needed to meet gtp targets, ethiopia will need significant inflows of foreign direct investment. For ethiopias underemployed youth, life can center on a leaf. Khat often refers to the leaves and young shoot of catha edulis. The federal government had to assume greater responsibility in order to encourage. Rights of the child in ethiopia global network fighting. A community based study, in jimma city, southwestern ethiopia. Introduction khat is the name generally used for catha edulis forsk, a young leaves and shoots of a flowering evergreen tree or shrub that grows at high altitudes in the region extending from eastern to southern africa, as well as in the arabian. The psychoactive constituents of khat, cathinone and cathine, are structurally similar to amphetamine.
College and university students also use it to stay. Although ethiopia has made significant progress on the access to basic health facilities, young people still face a number of health challenges, including inadequate access to sexual and reproductive health informationservices, malnutrition, prevalence of hivaids, substance abuse particularly khat, tobacco, alcohol and drug use and. For a fuller discussion on khat in ethiopia, including health, economic and ecological considerations, see section 5. Ethiopia is the worlds largest producer of khat, which is the countrys fastest growing export. This legend refers to mastication of the leaves as the main method of khat use.
However, the prevalences of the use of substances among. Historians agreed that khat use was observed in ethiopia in 15 th century and the practice was transferred to the. Khat is a perennial cash crop which has psychoactive properties whose tender leaves are chewed for euphonizing effects. Background khat chewing has become a highly prevalent practice and a growing public health concern in ethiopia. Ethiopia khat is weighed in a customs post near dire dawa. Khat chewing among ethiopian university students a growing. Jul 28, 2017 of khat and ethiopia khat users are young and simply, the most productive segment of the society in ethiopia. Khat is an integral part of the agricultural systems of nearly all regions of ethiopia. It is likely that some communities have been using khat either recreationally or as a spiritual aid for thousands of years. Much of ethiopias prime khat grows in the hills around the prominent eastern ethiopian cities of dire dawa and harar, about 150km from the border with somaliland. May 09, 20 khat is the second largest commodity export in ethiopia, next to coffee, bringing millions of dollars billions of birr to the country.
Khat, or catha edulis, is a flowering plant native to east africa which is legal to grow, sell and consume in ethiopia and used for its stimulant effects. Just like someone used to invite friends for coffee or tea in the good old days, today, friends invite each other to sit for khat to socialize. Socioeconomic and health effects of khat chewing in mekelle. In the traditional context, khat is used in ritual and habitual ways that exhibit its cultural embeddedness. Khat use and intimate partner violence in a refugee. Policy courses of the school of social work at addis ababa university, addis ababa, ethiopia, came to me and was discussed with the students. Although the investment case model cannot include data on khat, policy decisions on khat use should be considered in conjunction with those recommended in the investment case. Before beginnings of 21st century, only limited amount of khat was chewed in ethiopia for socialization and religious purpose.
In dire dawas chattara market, khat trading continues late into the night under naked lightbulbs iridescent in the hot darkness. A controversial land use and livelihood change scenario 150 outstanding cup quality 1. The coffee growing landscape of ethiopia 6 is varied and complex coffee growing in ethiopia 6 coffee consumption in ethiopia 6 coffee farming systems 6 coffee producing regions and areas 8 overview of ethiopias coffee growing climate 10 africa and ethiopias climate has changed and will continue to change observed changes. In its original subtropical locale of ethiopia and yemen, khat grows very easily into small sized trees or large shrubs. In ethiopia, study findings regarding the prevalence of khat. Pdf public discourse on khat catha edulis production in. To ban or not to ban foreign ban challenges khat export, while govt remains indifferent. Khat expansion and forest decline in wondo genet, ethiopia article pdf available in geografiska annaler series b human geography 902. Importation of khat leaves from ethiopia, kenya and cambodia. And the reason that word is so important is because, at approximately 2pm every single day, the entire nation stops everything they are doing and focuses on qat and on qat only. The following chart summarizes the legal status khat of catha edulis, also known as kat, qat, chat, and miraa, a plant whose leaves have a stimulant effect when chewed, in seven jurisdictions.
Khats effects are similar to other stimulants, such as cocaine. Ministrymeans the ministry of finance and economic development. Most often the fresh leaves and shoots are chewed, although it can also be made into a tea or paste. Much of the concern raised about the harmful effects of khat are related to excessive use, associated with adverse social conditions related to displacement and social marginalization. Addis abeba, july 272017 increasingly popular among the youth of addis abeba, khat, commonly known as chat by ethiopians, is a controversial perishable stimulant. A trader carries bundles of khat chat for the market. Review on economic integration of small and medium. Oromia had a special rate for the export of khat to other regions, while the amhara regions khat tax did not even mention export. The general guide of customs mentions khat as a banned. Women selling khat in the giant khat market in awaday, ethiopia. The law prohibits the exportimport of any plants and seeds that could be used in the manufacturing of illegal narcotics or for substance abuse, and also prohibits the sale, purchase, transport, possession, swap, and delivery of such plants. Khat chewing among ethiopian university students a.
Khat is a mildly narcotic plant that has been chewed and enjoyed socially for centuries in the horn of africa and the arabian peninsula. Khat can also cause a brown staining of the teeth, insomnia, and gastric disorders. Khat has its fervent supporters in ethiopia, as afp has recently seen in little mogadishu, a district of the capital addis ababa. It has widespread use in somalia, djibouti, ethiopia, and parts of kenya, and is particularly popular in yemen. Khat chewing among ethiopian university students a growing concern article pdf available in bmc public health 141. Women sitting at the roadside out of the historic centre of harar are selling khat. Composition of essential oil and antioxidant activity of. Khat refers to the leaves and the young shoots of the plant catha edulis forsk, a species belonging to the plant family celastraceae. Rather than seeing khat as a hindrance for nationstate formation and as a developmental problem, the paper argues that khat has been.
Khat is chewed by an estimated 20 million population every day in the arabian peninsula and in. The study was conducted for the bridges project piloting the delivery of quality education services in the developing regional states of ethiopia funded by dfid and led by save the children uk. Each email survey response was saved as a separate file, named after a code. Khat market near the stadium at the addis ababa, ethiopia. While ethiopias khat trade continues to expand, a growing number of countries around the world are criminalizing its sale and consumption. Pest control spray like ddt seemed to be the ideal pesticide for the chat farmers. Methods published primary relevant articles will be. Dried khat leaves can be made or those who have chewed too large a dose. Ethiopia is thought to be the country of origin of khat use 5. A famous legend in ethiopia claims that the first human to use khat was a yemeni herder who noticed the effects of the leaves on his goats and tried them himself 2. Introduction khat is the name generally used for catha edulis. Composition of essential oil and antioxidant activity of khat. Ethiopias dependency on imported goods, and encourage investment in the exportoriented sectors of textilesgarments, leatherleather products, cut flowers, fruits and vegetables, and agroprocessing. Composition of essential oil and antioxidant activity of khat catha edulis forsk, ethiopia.
Jul 07, 2008 the use or misuse of addictive substances, such as cigarettes, alcohol, and khat catha edulis forsk is increasingly prevalent in ethiopia 14. In any of these countries, youll find the plant being sold freely at open markets and consumed with the same regularity as coffee in western countries. To others it is an innocent stimulant and an important. Although there have been many small scale studies, very limited national information has been available in the general population. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and identify factors associated with khat chewing among ethiopian university students. A cross sectional study was conducted on bahir dar. Region of ethiopia, conducted over 18 days in april 2011.
Although khat is used by different groups of the society, overstated prevalence of khat consumption marks to youth. Overview of literature and information on khatrelated mortality. Dec 18, 2019 the origins of khat use are unclear, although some experts believe that it began in ethiopia. The issue is left for regional governments to decide. Ethiopia is diversifying exports, and commodities such as gold, sesame, khat, livestock and horticulture products are becoming increasingly important the process of economic integration has opened an opportunities and increased pressure for smes to expand their value and to form partnership or strategic alliance with. Many maintain that it lies at the root of the social and medical problems that trouble a signi. Khat is a flowering plant native to east africa and contains traces of. Pdf on oct 31, 2018, mekuria wuletaw and others published public discourse on khat catha edulis production in ethiopia. Although, anyone who has the intention to grow khat, may do so using seeds. Even in regions like tigray, where the plant has been banned, cultivation and usage continues and attempts to replace khat with cash crops like coffee have failed. Khat has many names including qat yemen, jad or chad ethiopia, somalia, miraa kenya or marungi uganda, rwanda. Khat, the stimulant leaf, has become a premier export commodity for ethiopian with annual earnings exceeding 250 million dollars. The world health organization who recommends a daily caffeine intake not exceeding 300 mg.
This mostly occurs among longterm chewers of khat produces a stimulantlike effect. Ethiopia from 2005, cited the example of taxes on khat a plantbased stimulant and appetite suppressant. Khat contains the alkaloid cathinone, a stimulant, which is said to cause excitement, loss of appetite, and euphoria. Khat catha edulis is a flowering shrub native to east africa and the arabian peninsula. Intimate partner violence ipv is the most common form of genderbased violence affecting women and girls worldwide and is exacerbated in humanitarian crises. Jul 22, 2017 about half of ethiopias youth are thought to chew khat, a psychotropic leaf. At least two dozen countries have listed khat as a controlled substance. Chewing of the leaves of the plant khat catha edulis forsk is a common habit in some countries of east africa and the arabian peninsula. Pdf khat expansion and forest decline in wondo genet. Khat catha edulis contains a psychoactive substance, cathinone, which produces central nervous system stimulation analogous to amphetamine. The role of education in livelihoods in the somali region. The use is deeply anchored to regional customs and traditions.
Although there are little or no research evidences are available to prove the economy would develop were it not for khat, the symptom of having a drug addicted young population is devastating to the political, social and economic fabric. Pdf prevalence of khat chewing and associated factors in. Pdf khat chewing among ethiopian university students a. Khat causes an immediate increase in blood pressure and. Background the use of excessive caffeine and consumption of alcohol, cigarette, and khat during pregnancy can result in adverse health effects on the fetus. It is an international hub from which loaded trucks leave for somalia, djibouti and the arabian peninsula every night. Coffee and khat are largely grown in small agroforestry and intercropped. While ethiopia s khat trade continues to expand, a growing number of countries around the world are criminalizing its sale and consumption. Khat and the creation of tradition in the somali diaspora. It is widely used and highly praised in east africa, including ethiopia, and the arabian peninsula for its euphoric effect.