Prevalence of and factors associated with regular khat. Khat kat or chat is a mild recreational stimulant widely used in the horn of africa and on the arabian peninsula, equivalent in social context to the kola nut in west africa. Khat chewing is common in the countries of the horn of africa ethiopia. Khat is the second largest commodity export in ethiopia, next to coffee, bringing millions of dollars billions of birr to the country. Prevalence of khat chewing, hawassa university, southern ethiopia, june. About half of ethiopias youth are thought to chew khat, a psychotropic leaf. Many different compounds are found in khat including alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, sterols, glycosides, tannins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals 911.
Aug 20, 2002 khat is a cash crop which really benefits the khat growers, traders and the government. It has various negative physical, mental, social and cognitive effects. Chewing khat is the life of ethiopia home facebook. Khat chewing is a public health concern in ethiopia. Coffee and khat are largely grown in small agroforestry and intercropped. Prevalence and determinants of khat catha edulis chewing. Consumption has also spread from the traditional khat heartlands in the eastern and southern regions of ethiopia to most major cities. Pdf khat expansion and forest decline in wondo genet, ethiopia. Khat expansion and forest decline in wondo genet, ethiopia article pdf available in geografiska annaler series b human geography 902. May 10, 20 khat is the second largest commodity export in ethiopia, next to coffee, bringing millions of dollars billions of birr to the country. Nov 21, 2014 in ethiopia there have been few studies of khat use among university students. Somaliland spends about 524 million dollars a yearabout 30 percent of gross domestic producton ethiopian khat many suspect the true figure to be much higher. Khat is a perennial cash crop which has psychoactive properties whose tender leaves are chewed for euphonizing effects.
Consumption has also spread from the traditional khat heartlands in the eastern. Khat has been grown for use as a stimulant for centuries in the horn of africa and the arabian peninsula. Khat chewing practice and associated factors among adults. Composition of essential oil and antioxidant activity of khat. Prevalence and determinants of khat catha edulis chewing among high school students in eastern ethiopia. Khat is an integral part of the agricultural systems of nearly all regions of ethiopia. Its infusion is from chewing not ingesting the recently harvested leaf. About a third of the production is exported to djibouti and somalia, but the. Ethiopia, oromia, alem maya, chewing drug khat market, somali women.
The commercial town of aweday, where farmers sell their khat productions, was severely affected by the conflict. Background khat chewing has become a highly prevalent practice and a growing public health concern in ethiopia. A community based study, in jimma city, southwestern ethiopia. Contribution of khat kellas and the impacts of its closure.
Khat, the stimulant leaf, has become a premier export commodity for ethiopian with annual earnings exceeding 250 million dollars. Khat use prevalence, causes and its effect on mental health, bahirdar, north west ethiopia asfaw getnet gebiresilus berhanie getnet gebresilus simegn sendek yizengaw daniel tsehay sewasew university of gondar, psychology department, college of social sciences and humanities,gondar, ethiopia teka zewudie mengesha. See more of chewing khat is the life of ethiopia on facebook. Khat an increasing problem for ethiopian youth a farmer collecting khat in infranz, a village in the amhara region of ethiopia. Khat export negatively impacted by ethnic conflict between oromo and somali regions of ethiopia says government communication minister. For ethiopias underemployed youth, life can center on a. Ethiopias economy experienced strong, broadbased growth averaging 10. Khat is now one of ethiopia s largest crops by area of cultivation, the countrys second largest export earner, and an essential source of income for millions of ethiopian farmers. Khat is chewed for hours and users say it elevates your mood and stimulates your mind. Ethiopia as a nation, defining it as an obsolete empirestate, a prison house of peoples.
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. Dec 18, 2019 khat is a mildly narcotic plant that has been chewed and enjoyed socially for centuries in the horn of africa and the arabian peninsula. Officials consider such widespread use of the drug, blamed on a lack of work, a huge problem for the country. However nowhere else it is as widespread as it is in yemen10.
Khat chewing practice and its perceived health effects. Khat is a mild stimulant derived from the plant catha edulis grown in countries of the. While ethiopias khat trade continues to expand, a growing number of countries around the world are criminalizing its sale and consumption. It has widespread use in somalia, djibouti, ethiopia, and parts of kenya, and is particularly popular in yemen. In ethiopia, depending upon geographical location, various chemotypes of khat are cultivated and these chemistry international 31 2017 2531 composition of essential oil and antioxidant activity of khat catha edulis forsk, ethiopia yohannes mulugeta hailu1, minaleshewa atlabachew2, bhagwan singh chandravanshi1, and. Icd10, an international manual for the classification of mental disorders.
Hfhe runs a diverse, innovative program, tailored to. Freshness commands the highest demand and best price. Though studies have not been conducted on the social drawbacks of khat, i have observed the isolation of chewers especially from people who do not use khat colleaguesfriends and religious people, for example. Ethiopia is the worlds largest producer of khat, which is the countrys fastest growing export. Addis ababa adinew agricultural alcohol amhara region areas average bahir birr birr per kg cash crop cathinone chapter chew culture chew khat chew session coffee consumers context deder and meta derg dire dawa districts djibouti dreams drug earnings eastern ethiopia eastern harerge economic effects of khat ethio ethiopia expansion of khat. In south eastern ethiopia, khat is part of the peoples culture and is never considered as some kind of drug. Pdf public discourse on khat catha edulis production in. Khat cultivation in ethiopia fuels economy, reduces. The khat farmer, trader, and majority of chewers are deeply tied to the leaves for historical, economic and cultural reasons. Attempts, albeit unsuccessful, have been made to link the use of khat.
Methods the study used the 2011 ethiopian demographic. The young designated but uncrowned emperor of ethiopia 1916, who was supposed to be succeeding the throne of. Magnitude of khat use and associated factors among women attending antenatal care in gedeo zone health centers, southern ethiopia. Khat expansion and forest decline in wondo genet, ethiopia. We did a crosssectional study from may 20, 2014 to june 23, 2014 on a sample of 1,255 regular students recruited from all campuses of hawassa university, southern ethiopia. We did a crosssectional study from may 20, 2014 to june 23, 2014 on a sample of 1,255 regular students recruited from. Poor academic performance has been associated with khat.
Situated in the horn of africa, ethiopia is bordered by eritrea to the north, sudan to the west, kenya to the south, somalia to the east and djibouti to the northeast. Khat is drought and pest resistant and requires less water and less time to grow than coffee. At least two dozen countries have listed khat as a controlled substance. In this article we report on the prevalence of and factors associated with regular khat chewing among university students in ethiopia. Hence the ethiopian government looks on khat as a useful exportable product to other countries, bringing in sorely need foreign currency, the access to which presents a perennial problem in ethiopia. Jul 28, 2017 a trader carries bundles of khat chat for the market hewan semon addis abeba, july 272017 increasingly popular among the youth of addis abeba, khat, commonly known as chat by ethiopians, is a controversial perishable stimulant. The following chart summarizes the legal status of khat catha edulis, also known as kat, qat, chat, and miraa, a plant whose leaves have a stimulant effect when chewed, in seven jurisdictions. Khat chewing practice and associated factors among adults in. Addis ababa, may 8, 20 from all the rulers that followed the solomonic dynasty in ethiopia, lij iyasu, the grandson of emperor menelik ii was a lot different. In islamic countries like yemen republic and somalia, as among the muslim members of ethiopia and kenya khat is the drug of choice and is legal, for unlike alcohol. Acres and acres of khat farms can be seen far into the distance. Khat chewing among ethiopian university students a growing. A trader carries bundles of khat chat for the market.
Dave khat house with an ethiopian mobile phone number, selling the drug chewed widely in yemen, somalia and is currently legal in ethiopia. Pdf on oct 31, 2018, mekuria wuletaw and others published public discourse on khat catha edulis production in ethiopia. By assessing spatial variables and social factors, and using. 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. Ethiopia, kenya, somalia, zimbabwe, tanzania, uganda, malawi and south africa9 as well as yemen use khat. Not only top export earner it also plays a considerable role in the local economy, as it is a source. But even with these unanswered questions, leaf of allah provides new insight into a little explored aspect of ethiopia s economic history. Khat export negatively impacted by ethnic conflict. Contact chewing khat is the life of ethiopia on messenger. This study analyses the expansion of khat production in relation to forest decline in the wondo genet area in southcentral ethiopia. Khat is ethiopia s third largest export item next to coffee and gold national bank of ethiopia report, 20.
To ban or not to ban foreign ban challenges khat export, while govt remains indifferent. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and identify factors associated with khat chewing among ethiopian university students. Khat is now one of ethiopias largest crops by area of cultivation, the countrys second largest export earner, and an essential source of income for millions of ethiopian farmers. Pdf khat chewing practice and associated factors among adults. In the traditional context, khat is used in ritual and habitual ways that exhibit its cultural embeddedness.
Addis ababa adinew agricultural alcohol amhara region areas average bahir birr birr per kg cash crop cathinone chapter chew culture chew khat chew session coffee consumers context deder and meta derg dire dawa districts djibouti. It includes information regarding the legality of khat in each jurisdiction and. But the turn to khat production instead of coffee harms ethiopia, according to government officials. Ethiopia is deservedly famous for its coffee, but farmers are tearing up their bushes understandably given the collapse in coffee prices in favour of the much more easily grown and profitable khat shrub. Although there have been many small scale studies, very limited national information has been available in the general population. Ethiopia could merge with lingering political cleavages and.
The federal democratic republic of ethiopia ministry of w orks and urban development resettlement policy framework urban local government development project draft no. Its true that in most of ethiopia consumption of qatchatmiraa is much lower than in yemen. The other main groups of refugees in ethiopia were from sudan and eritrea. Trends, challenges and options in khat production in ethiopia article pdf available in international journal of drug policy 30. The production of khat in ethiopia has boomed over the last two decades, making the country the worlds leading source. 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 khat plant is known by a variety of names, such as qat and gat in yemen, qaat and jaad in somalia, and chat in ethiopia. Ethiopia the second most populous country in africa is a oneparty state with a planned economy. Improving drought response in pastoral areas of ethiopia somali and afar regions and borena zone of oromiya region sara pantuliano and mike wekesa humanitarian policy group overseas development institute, london prepared for the core group care, fao, save the children uk and save the children us january 2008 hpg humanitarian policy group. Attempts, albeit unsuccessful, have been made to link the use of khat with serious health issues such as psychosis, insomnia, paranoia, and depression. Composition of essential oil and antioxidant activity of. Khat is illegal in many countries, like europe and usa.
Khat leaves have an astringent taste and have an aromatic odour. Pdf public discourse on khat catha edulis production. Kassa echoes the findings of previous studies that have shown khat production and distribution now support the livelihoods of millions of ethiopians. Khat chewing among ethiopian university students a. Ethiopia has enjoyed relative peace and stability since prime minister meles zenawi and his ethiopian peoples revolutionary democratic revolutionary front eprdf came to power in 1991 at the end of a civil war. Although, anyone who has the intention to grow khat, may do so using seeds. The psychoactive constituents of khat, cathinone and cathine, are structurally similar to amphetamine. Magnitude of khat use and associated factors among women. It is also known as jimaa in the oromo language, mayirungi in luganda, and as miraa in kenya. Prevalence and factors associated with use of khat. The available studies were either done before the expansion of public universities and increased admission loads or represent only a single facultydepartment of a university which might affect estimation of khat use among university students. The eastern part of ethiopia is generally known for its cash crop production, predominantly khat and coffee, and food crop deficit 1.
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. Addis abeba, july 272017 increasingly popular among the youth of addis abeba, khat, commonly known as chat by ethiopians, is a controversial perishable stimulant. Khat catha edulis is a flowering shrub native to east africa and the arabian peninsula. Khat an increasing problem for ethiopian youth durame. Download fulltext pdf legal harvest and illegal trade. This study aimed to identify factors associated with khat chewing practice among ethiopian adults. Apr 10, 2004 ethiopia is deservedly famous for its coffee, but farmers are tearing up their bushes understandably given the collapse in coffee prices in favour of the much more easily grown and profitable khat shrub. The young and underemployed are increasingly chewing khat, a psychotropic leaf that has amphetaminelike effects. Ethiopia khat is weighed in a customs post near dire dawa. Jul 22, 2017 about half of ethiopias youth are thought to chew khat, a psychotropic leaf. Most often the fresh leaves and shoots are chewed, although it can also be made into a tea or paste. Where does khat for those communities come from and what is the impact on the national economy.
The phenylalkylamines and the cathedulins are the major alkaloids. In the next couple of years sanaa yemeni capital is due to run out of water completley thus becoming the first capital in the world to run out of water and this is largelly due to the cultivation of qat which is a very thirsty plant. Ethiopias hararge region is the main area for cultivation of the crop. Table 3 below provides a summary of the forecast of hcfc consumption in ethiopia. 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. For ethiopias underemployed youth, life can center on a leaf. Over the last decade khat cultivation has expanded to other regions of ethiopia, and has become an integral part of agriculture in the central and western highlands of ethiopia, as well, says kassa. Habitat for humanity in ethiopia habitat for humanity ethiopia hfhe has been active since 1993. Khat chewing practice and associated factors among. Ethiopia estimated its future demand to increase by an average of 7 per cent annually. Khat export negatively impacted by ethnic conflict between.
Khat is now a major source of government revenue and export earnings. Before beginnings of 21st century, only limited amount of khat was chewed in ethiopia for socialization and religious purpose. The calculation of unconstrained demand used the countrys growth rate for 2011 which was estimated at 7. Individuals chew khat leaves because of the stimulant effects, which are similar to but less intense than those caused by using cocaine or methamphetamine.
Prevalence of and factors associated with regular khat chewing. In its original subtropical locale of ethiopia and yemen, khat grows very easily into small sized trees or large shrubs. Ethiopia is thought to be the country of origin of khat use 5. Khat is a mildly narcotic plant that has been chewed and enjoyed socially for centuries in the horn of africa and the arabian peninsula. Improving drought response in pastoral areas of ethiopia. Sep 02, 2005 but khat consumption in addis ababa and the provincial capitals is considerable. A controversial land use and livelihood change scenario 150 outstanding cup quality 1. Since then it has helped thousands of families by building decent homes with improved water and sanitation facilities. Khat chewing has become a highly prevalent practice and. Another of ethiopias eastern neighbours, djibouti, is reportedly ethiopias most lucrative external market. Though i was predisposed toward the ethiopia i had studied since the late 1950s, i appreciated that within its.