What leaves do Yemenis chew?

Khat is popular in many countries of the Arabian peninsula and the Horn of Africa, but in Yemen it’s a full-blown national addiction. As much as 90\% of men and 1 in 4 women in Yemen are estimated to chew the leaves, storing a wad in one cheek as the khat slowly breaks down into the saliva and enters the bloodstream.

What is qat Yemen?

Qat (Catha edulis) is an ever green tree/shrub naturally growing in Abysssinian mountains as well as in the other countries of East Africa. It has been introduced to Yemen before the Islamic Era, nowadays it is widely cultivated in the mountains of Sanaa and Taiz. Qat is, thus, classified by WHO as a “drug of abuse”.

How bad is khat for you?

Severe side effects include migraine, bleeding in the brain, heart attack, lung problems, liver damage, changes in sex drive, and inability to get an erection (impotence). Chewing khat leaves has led to infections that can cause problems such as pain below the ribs, changes in white blood cells, and an enlarged liver.

What is the active drug in khat?

What is it? Stimulant drug made from the leaves and twigs, evergreen shrub. Active ingredients are cathine and cathinone.

Where did khat originate?

Khat (Catha edulis) is a flowering shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The term khat refers to the leaves and young shoots of Catha edulis.

Is khat grown in Yemen?

Khat now ranks first in the list of cash crops in Yemen, with an average cultivated area of 166,557 hectares, out of a total cultivated land of approximately 1,172,000 hectares. Meanwhile, the total yield has reached nearly 190 thousand tons annually.

What are Yemeni soldiers chewing?

The traditional form of khat chewing in Yemen involves only male users; khat chewing by females is less formal and less frequent. Researchers estimate about 70–80\% of Yemenis between 16 and 50 years old chew khat, at least on occasion. Approximately 60–90\% of male and 35\% of female Yemenis chew khat daily.

Does khat grow in the US?

But in the United States khat is illegal, and an increased demand for the plant in cities such as Washington and San Diego is leading to stepped up law enforcement efforts and escalating clashes between narcotics officers and immigrants who defend their use of khat as a time-honored tradition.

Is khat illegal in the US?

Is khat illegal? There is no licit use for khat in the United States. Khat contains two central nervous system stimulants: cathinone–a Schedule I drug1 under the Federal Controlled Substances Act–and cathine–a Schedule IV drug. Cathinone is the principal active stimulant; its levels are highest in fresh khat.

Who invented khat?

According to some sources, khat was first grown in Ethiopia, with the explorer Sir Richard Burton suggesting the plant was later introduced to Yemen from Ethiopia in the 15th century.

Is khat sold in the US?

Why is khat so popular in Yemen?

Khat is popular in many countries of the Arabian peninsula and the Horn of Africa, but in Yemen it’s a full-blown national addiction. As much as 90\% of men and 1 in 4 women in Yemen are estimated to chew the leaves, storing a wad in one cheek as the khat slowly breaks down into the saliva and enters the bloodstream.

Can you get high off of Qat in Yemen?

Chewing Qat (aka “Getting High”) In Yemen. Qat, and the substance it contains, is actually illegal in many countries and its use is mostly limited to Yemen, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and a handful of other countries in the same geographical area.

Is khat sucking Yemen DRY?

But the worst thing about khat may be that it is sucking Yemen dry. The plant thrives in the high hill country outside Sana’a, where nearly every patch of irrigated land is covered in khat. Unlike coffee, which Yemenis claim was first cultivated here, khat is easy to grow and harvest.

What is khat chewing and why is it important?

Khat chewing is an important social ritual among Somali, Yemeni, and Ethiopian cultures. When people from these countries migrate to other parts of the world, they often use the social act of chewing khat to maintain a sense of connection to their community. The practice has lead to the development of an international drug trade for khat.