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8-03-2015, 23:02

The Khat Experience

A subjective account of khat-induced psychophysiological effects is given by Kennedy. The account is derived from his own experimentation with the drug and from interviews with 803 Yemeni users of khat:

The first experiential effects of qat are a gradually developing mild euphoria, i. e., alertness, feelings of contentment, confidence, gregariousness, and the flowing of ideas, called the kayf. [“Kayf” is a general term in Arabic for a state of pleasurable well-being]. Under certain variable conditions such as amount of the drug, food intake, personality and physical condition, this kayf phase occasionally develops into confusion. Ordinarily however, the experience gradually transforms into an “introvert phase” of quiet contemplation in which the stimulation of thought processes continues at a rapid pace while physical and vocal activities diminish. Since this is often accompanied by fatigue, previous problems or pessimistic personality characteristics may transform this phase into a mild temporary lowering of mood.

The postsession effects of qat continue for several hours, and, again depending upon the same variable conditions, many of them are rather negative. Sleep is inhibited, hunger is diminished, sexual desire and performance may positively or negatively be affected, and irritability may occur. However, often people experience positive aftermaths, such as feeling closer to Allah, more understanding, and a desire to work. When we look at our interview data pertaining to the experiential aspects of qat-use we find consistent male-female differences, with more males generally reporting the experiences. In the eyes of the average chewer the rewarding experiences associated with qat chewing outweigh the unrewarding ones; they are much more regular and predictable (Kennedy 1987:130-1).

Adverse Effects of Khat

An apocryphal account of khat’s introduction into Yemen from Ethiopia is given by the historian and traveler, Ibn Fadl. Allah al’Umari in his work, Masalik al-Absar, written between A. D. 1342 and 1349. The king of Yemen, curious about khat, asked an advisor, an Ethiopian familiar with the drug, to describe the effects of chewing the leaf:

Upon learning that it virtually eliminated the desire to eat, to drink [alcohol?], and to have sexual intercourse, [the king] told him: “And what other pleasures are there in this base world besides those? By God, I will not eat it at all; I only spend my efforts on those three things; how am I going to use such a thing

Which will deprive me of the pleasures that I

Get from them?” (Krikorian 1984:26-7).

Beyond question, a temporary loss of appetite is effected by khat chewing. In laboratory tests, cathi-none and cathine markedly inhibit the food intake of rats (Bulletin on Narcotics 1980: 84). In addition, nearly all users experience difficulty in sleep following the use of the drug. Only daily heavy chewers reported that their sleep was not inhibited by khat (Kennedy 1987: 128). There is also little doubt that sexual experience is affected by khat, but opinions vary as to whether sexual desire is heightened and ability to perform is enhanced, or whether there is a loss of libido. Examples of both effects are found in the literature: “While sex interest is heightened at first, depressed libido and potentia sexualis come as the drug effect is maintained, and chronic users may develop impotence” (Margetts 1967: 359; see also Krikorian 1984:151).

A negative view of the drug, based on its anaphro-disiac properties, is paradoxical, however, because relevant demographic characteristics of the chief khat-using countries suggest that “depressed libido” is hardly a problem. Yemen, for example, has a total fertility rate (the average number of children a woman will have throughout her childbearing years) of 7.7, which is the world’s highest, save for Gaza’s 8.1 (Population Reference Bureau 1995).

Perhaps the most common ailments related to the level of khat use are gastritis (acute and chronic) and constipation (Kennedy 1987: 218). Tannins in khat (chiefly flavenoids) have long been suspected of adversely affecting the gastric system. At the present time, it is known that tannin content is high, probably between 5 and 15 percent (Kennedy 1987: 185). Many of the most expensive kinds of khat have reddish tints to leaves and shoots, and these kinds are purported to have a lower content of tannins than the others (Drake 1988: 532).

Among women, there is a strong association of the level of khat use with liver and urinary problems. Khat chewing may also be a maternal practice harmful to the fetus. It has been found that healthy full-term infants have a significantly lower average birth weight if the mothers were either occasional or habitual khat chewers (Eriksson, Ghani, and Kristiansson 1991:106-11).



 

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