Khat is a small shrub plant that grows in the Horn of Africa; the leaves and stem are chewed over a period of several hours to produce a mild euphoric and stimulant effect. The use of the plant can be traced back to at least the 10th century. In Somalia, khat has a largely recreational use, with men meeting after work to chew together for a few hours. Historically, religious leaders, intelligentsia and people studying the Koran have also used it. The plant has always been consumed by men, but in some countries, including Britain, women have also taken up chewing.

In Britain the plant is mainly chewed in designated places known as khat houses, which are well known to community. The blinds are drawn, endless cigarettes are smoked, fresh coffee is served and problems are discussed, sometimes for up to ten hours a day in raging debates.

A Somali man in Whitechapel comments,

"We just sit and chew, think about Somalia and how to solve the problems, what is blocking peace...our hearts and minds are in Somalia."

Meanwhile life carries on around them, making the men more and more detached from the everyday reality and the issues that need to be dealt with around them. In Britain many argue that khat has acquired a problematic use, linked to social exclusion rather than recreation. Many community members argue the misuse of khat is symptomatic of the wider social isolation felt by Somalis in Britain.

A recent aricle in the Guardian article (04/09/02) claimed that khat was chewed by about 90% of men in the Somali community, and that unemployment was as high as 80%.

Although it is unclear if the picture is indeed as bleak as the Guardian paints it, this is no doubt a serious issue within the Somali community. Somali women have been particularly vociferous in highlighting how the plant has acquired negative repercussions when chewed habitually in the U.K.


Effects of habitual chewing:

PHYSICAL:
Insomnia, kills appetite, tongue and mouth cancer, infections, liver damage and impotence.

MENTAL :
Psychological dependence, depression, paranoia, mood swings, aggression and lethargy.

SOCIAL :
Alienation, isolation.


One of the clear problems is that the standard support systems and service are not configured to reach ethnic communities, whilst awareness of khat use and its effects is limited to say the least amongst professional medical bodies and charities. The Oxis agency, which first began in Lewisham, seems a step forward; its core model has been emulated and proven successful in other projects across the country.

The major problems voiced by people interviewed were cost and potency. A financially harmless habit in Somalia becomes altogether more costly in the U.K where the plant has to be imported and retails at £3-4 pounds a bundle. The type of khat imported is the stronger Kenyan variety, beacuse its longer durability makes it easier to import. Consequently Somalis accustomed to chewing the milder variety are suddenly ingesting khat that has twice the usual potency they are used to. Other problems include isolation, boredom and a general feeling of despondency.