WHAT HARM?
Ugandan khat
consumers' views of a
stimulant drug
Susan Beckerleg
Cultures of Consumption
ESRC
Catha edulis
(Khat, qat, miraa, murungi, gomba, chat)
Main active ingredients:
Cathine
Cathinone
Effects
? Stimulant (coffee, amphetamine, coca)
? Euphoria
? Reflection
? Mild depression
? Sleeplessness
? Loss of appetite
? Sexual desire
? Impotency/greater potency
? Dependency/addiction?
Advisory Council on Misuse
of Drugs- assessment of risk
?Legal status in UK unchanged.
?Some adverse physical symptoms (oral
cancer risk)
?Not a causal factor in psychosis (despite
case evidence)
?No link to acquisitive crime – no gateway
to other drugs
Health effects
?Increased heart rate
?Gastro-intestinal problems
?Tooth decay
?Psychosis
?Impotency
?Lowered fertility
?STIs and HIV
social and economic
effects
Ugandan leaders and some consumers:
?Impoverishment
?Crime
?Alcoholism
?Family breakdown
Khat and Islam
? Yemen: status within Islam disputed by some
scholars.
? Ethiopia: associated with ritual religious use
and Muslims in general
? Kenya: Main producers are not Muslim. Many
Islamic scholars say it is ‘makru’ or even
haram
? Uganda: production associated with Muslims;
consumers across all religious and ethnic
groups
Khat production in
Uganda
? From the early 20th century, Yemeni and
Somali settlers in Uganda showed local people
wild khat trees and encouraged them to
harvest and cultivate khat.
? Production spread in the 1970s to most parts
of the country, notably:
? Mbale, Mabira Forest, Moroto District, around
Kampala, Fort Portal
Hirihiri from Eastern
Uganda
Karamajong Hirihiri
traders
Trading namalu khat fresh
from the mountain
Uganda Khat Consumption
?Formerly associated with ‘respectable
business men’.
?Now associated with (male) youth
frequenting video shows.
?Few social rituals developed.
?Many khat users use alcohol after
chewing.
Social and legal status of
khat in Uganda
?In 1989-1990, shortly after Museveni
came to power a lobby group requested
that khat be kept legal.
?‘Low class people and drivers’
?Law has been drawn up banning khat,
but not yet passed.
?Currently legal, but harassment of traders
in some towns.
Uganda ‘harm reduction’
approaches
? Kisoro: sale of khat prohibited after 9pm.
? Kabale: arrest of the main khat trader.
? Soroti: Town council looked at legal position, but could
find nothing to justify limiting khat sales.
? Jinja: Trade regulated by sellers self -help group. Sales
pitches negotiated with Municipal authorities.
Survey of 300 khat
consumers
?166 from Kampala; 134 from the West
?52% Muslim; 43% Christian
?75% men; 25% women
?50% aged 18-29; 50% aged 30-50 years
Occupation of
respondents
? Hawker
? Transport worker
? Trade/craft/repair
? Retailer
? None/unemployed
? Driver
? Teacher
? Farmer
? Housewife
20%
16%
11%
11%
6%
6%
5%
4%
2%
Frequency of khat chewing in the last week as reported by residence
chewing per week
200
once or twice a
week
three to six times a
week
daily
Count
150
100
50
0
Kampala
West
place of interview
Amount spent on khat on day of interview according to area of residence
place of interview
80
Kampala
West
Count
60
40
20
0
10000
9500
8000
7000
6000
5000
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1800
1700
1500
1200
1000
500
0
How much spend on Khat?
Source: Uganda khat consumers survey, October-December 2004
Amount spent on khat on day of interview by gender
80
sex
male
female
Count
60
40
20
0
40000
25000
20000
10000
9500
8000
7500
7000
6000
5000
4500
4000
3500
3000
2800
2700
2500
2000
1600
1500
1000
700
600
500
300
0
How much spend on extras?
Source: Uganda khat consumers survey, October-December 2004
Responses to statement that khat is bad for health, by gender.
sex
125
male
female
100
Count
75
50
25
0
disagree
agree
uncertain
Khat is bad for health
Source: Uganda khat consumers survey, October-December 2004
Responses to the statement ‘khat disrupts family life’, by gender
sex
200
male
female
Count
150
100
50
0
disagree
agree
uncertain
Khat disrupts family life
Responses to the statement ‘ khat lowers work productivity’, by gender
sex
150
male
female
120
Count
90
60
30
0
disagree
agree
uncertain
Khat lowers work productivity
Responses to statement that khat is should be banned, by gender.
sex
250
male
female
200
Count
150
100
50
0
disagree
agree
uncertain
Khat should be banned
Harmful, but not greatly!
? Some physical dependency in heavy, long term
users.
? Can cause economic hardship.
? ‘Scapegoat’ blamed as cause of social ills,
under-development and even war.
? Other drugs used (cigarettes, alcohol, Valium )
used in conjunction with khat increase harm to
health greatly
? Unlikely that khat use alone contributes to
crime.