Khat use spreads to British youth
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- ras_menelik
- added this
Khat bundle
The khat plant, Catha edulis, has been chewed by east Africans for hundreds of years and plays a large part in the social lives of both men and women.
It is banned across America, Canada and most of Europe, but remains legal in Britain.
Khat user Steve [not his real name] is a philosophy student. He is one of an increasing number of students who are taking up the habit.
Steve, who is 22, comes from a good middle-class family and in a slightly apologetic tone he tells me he was drawn to the leaves because they looked harmless.
"They looked really natural, not like a normal drug and they were all wrapped up in this really shiny banana leaf."
Crossing divides
Chewing khat according to those who do it, gives them a mellow high. Some describe it as a cross between cannabis and cocaine.
"You're really alert," says Steve, "but at the same time you have a bit of the feeling you have on cannabis... not hallucinations but going that sort of way."
In Somalia, khat is popular among taxi drivers and farm workers - people who have to stay alert while the rest of us are tucked up in bed.
In the UK, some students are using it for the same reasons, saying it helps them stay up all night studying.
It is relatively easy to get, and it's cheap too - your average bundle costs about £3 ($.4.20).
When I went in search of some for this piece, I was pointed in the direction of an Ethiopian butchers in north London.
Khat's appeal is spreading beyond the Somali community
They had sold out, but assured me they were expecting a fresh batch to be delivered in a couple of days.
The woman behind the counter suggested I try down the road.
Next stop and sure enough there it was, nestled innocently between the cucumbers and courgettes.
"Aren't you worried about selling it," I ask.
"No, why should I be?" The store owner asks, with a slightly bemused look on his face.
"Its legal, we pay taxes and people want to buy it, so I sell it."
Controversial status
But there growing concern that khat houses are trying to appeal more to younger users.
And that according to Asha, a teenager we meet at a community centre in east London, is setting a dangerous precedent.
"I see so many kids who...start because they just want to try it, but then they end up going there 24/7," he says.
"I know [people who] have ended up dropping out of college because they've been up chewing all night and can't get out of bed. Plus you get people selling other harder drugs in there."
The khat plant, Catha edulis, has been chewed by east Africans for hundreds of years and plays a large part in the social lives of both men and women.
It is banned across America, Canada and most of Europe, but remains legal in Britain.
Khat user Steve [not his real name] is a philosophy student. He is one of an increasing number of students who are taking up the habit.
Steve, who is 22, comes from a good middle-class family and in a slightly apologetic tone he tells me he was drawn to the leaves because they looked harmless.
"They looked really natural, not like a normal drug and they were all wrapped up in this really shiny banana leaf."
Crossing divides
Chewing khat according to those who do it, gives them a mellow high. Some describe it as a cross between cannabis and cocaine.
"You're really alert," says Steve, "but at the same time you have a bit of the feeling you have on cannabis... not hallucinations but going that sort of way."
In Somalia, khat is popular among taxi drivers and farm workers - people who have to stay alert while the rest of us are tucked up in bed.
In the UK, some students are using it for the same reasons, saying it helps them stay up all night studying.
It is relatively easy to get, and it's cheap too - your average bundle costs about £3 ($.4.20).
When I went in search of some for this piece, I was pointed in the direction of an Ethiopian butchers in north London.
Khat's appeal is spreading beyond the Somali community
They had sold out, but assured me they were expecting a fresh batch to be delivered in a couple of days.
The woman behind the counter suggested I try down the road.
Next stop and sure enough there it was, nestled innocently between the cucumbers and courgettes.
"Aren't you worried about selling it," I ask.
"No, why should I be?" The store owner asks, with a slightly bemused look on his face.
"Its legal, we pay taxes and people want to buy it, so I sell it."
Controversial status
But there growing concern that khat houses are trying to appeal more to younger users.
And that according to Asha, a teenager we meet at a community centre in east London, is setting a dangerous precedent.
"I see so many kids who...start because they just want to try it, but then they end up going there 24/7," he says.
"I know [people who] have ended up dropping out of college because they've been up chewing all night and can't get out of bed. Plus you get people selling other harder drugs in there."
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estee_arie
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i would try it - but i don't think i could stomach the taste of bitterness. i dont advocate people ruining there life on any drugs - but im also a curious cat :) plus its not manufactured synthetically in a lab, so it doesnt scare me as much. maybe that a society reaction in me.
- 3 years ago
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estee_arie
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estee_arie
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deff not a prob in the us yet -that i know of. im sure it will pop up. i saw the pod on current the other night. seems like you got to chew a lot.
- 3 years ago
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estee_arie
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ras_menelik
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estee_arie:
look @ it like coca leaves or chew tobacco I grew up around it tried it once (@16) didn't do anything to me but I also couldn't get past the bitter taste ( so I didn't inhale:)
- 3 years ago
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ras_menelik
