Khat, Quat, Tschat, Miraa (Cathinone, Cathine,)
Introduction Catha edulis Forsk, popularly known as Khat, is a plant used in parts of Africa and the Arab Peninsula. Its fresh leaves and tops are chewed or, less frequently, dried and consumed as tea, in order to achieve a state of euphoria and stimulation. Due to rapid air transportation capabilities, the drug has been reported in London, Rome, Amsterdam, Canada and the U.S. The public has become more aware of this exotic drug through media reports pertaining to the United Nations mission in Somalia, where khat use is endemic, and its role in the Persian Gulf. The khat plant is known by a variety of names, such as qat in Yemen; tschat in Ethiopia, and miraa in Kenya. In 1980 the World Health Organization classified khat as a drug of abuse that can produce mild to moderate psychic dependence.
Licit Uses Khat has not been approved for medical use in the U.S. Khat use has traditionally been confined to the regions where khat is grown, because only the fresh leaves have the desired stimulating effects. In recent years improved roads and the availability of off-road vehicles in or close to areas of cultivation and the possibility of air transportation has increased the global distribution of this non-storable commodity. It is mainly a recreational drug in the countries which grow khat, even though it may also be used by farmers and laborers for reducing physical fatigue, and by drivers and students for improving attention.
User Population It is estimated that several million people are frequent users of khat. Many of the users originate from countries between Sudan and Madagascar and in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula, especially Yemen. In Yemen, 60% of the males and 35% of the females were found to be khat users who had chewed daily for long periods of their life. The traditional form of khat chewing in Yemen involves only male users; khat chewing by females is less formal and less frequent. The drug has increasingly entered the U.S. through these emerging cultural enclaves. Once khat is imported into the U.S. the drug quickly makes it to the streets and is used by the general population.
Illicit Distribution Khat leaves are illicitly bundled and shipped into the U.S. Seizures have occurred at all ports of entry and at courier services like FEDEX and UPS. According to the FDIN data base, over 57,000 pounds of khat leaves were seized in 1998 and over 24 metric tons of khat seized in 1999. There were over 1 kilogram of cathine and over 44 kilograms of cathinone analyzed in the DEA laboratory system during 1999.
Control Status Cathine is in Schedule IV and cathinone is in Schedule I of the Controlled Substance Act. Comments and additional information are welcomed by the Drug and Chemical Evaluation Section, FAX 202-307-8570 or telephone 202-307-7183.
Source: Weekly communications from Director Luceille Fleming, Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services.An amphetamine-like drug that produces a cocaine-like euphoria introduced in this area by the burgeoning Somali population. The same long-term approach that has the most success with cocaine abusers seems to be having the best effect with khat users. A complication is that in Somalia the use of the drug is pervasive and accepted. Community workers who are trying to help Somalians assimilate into Columbus lifetell of the disastrous effect on the rest of the family through diversion of limited income. Just this week the Narcotics Digest, which provides current intelligence as well as indications and warnings of emerging trends in trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs, included an article about the seizure of 130 pounds of khat and related incidents in Missouri and Nebraska. It had been shipped from London to New York, where it was intercepted and followed. It is considered in this country a Schedule 1 drug, and its use at the moment seems to be limited to East African and Middle Eastern immigrant communities. What a roadblock to so many Somali families attempting to realize the immigrant's dream in Columbus!
Product Information Khat leaves are found on flowering evergreen trees and bushes that primarily grow in Eastern and Southern Africa. The active ingredient in the KHAT leaves is cathinone, which is an amphetamine-like CNS stimulant that is categorized as a C-I by the DEA in the U.S. Intoxication is achieved by chewing the leaves, which leads to feelings of elevated mood, increased alertness, increased concentration, increased motor activity, and increased heart rate. The dose needed to constitute an overdose is not known, however it has historically been associated with those who have been long-term chewers of the leaves. Symptoms of toxicity include: delusions, loss of appetite, difficulty with breathing and increases in both blood pressure and heart rate. Additionally, there are reports of liver damage (chemical hepatitis). There have also been reports of cardiac complications, specifically myocardial infarctions, but again this occurs mostly in the long-term chewers of khat or those who have chewed too large a dose.
In response to the question of abuse in the US, while the primary active ingredient, cathinone, is categorized as a C-I by the DEA it only remains active for approximately 48 hours after picking the leaves. After 48 hours the main ingredient left in the plant is thought to have a low abuse potential. After picking the leaves it is very labor intensive for the picker to maintain the active ingredient for greater than 48 hours. The leaves are picked and then stored with water in foil, or banana leaves and at best the leaves may maintain some of their primary effect for up to 5 days. However, it should be noted that the value of the leaves significantly decreases if the leaves cannot be chewed within the first 24 hours. Khat itself is not considered to be a popular street drug in the US, however its synthetic counterpart methcathinone (or “Cat”) appears to be gaining popularity.
Reference: Al-Motarreb, A, Baker, K, Broadley K. Khat: Pharmacological and Medical Aspects and its Social Use in Yemen. Phyother Res. 2002;16:403-413
Product information input from: Gaylene Tsipis and Earl Siegel, Co-Directors, Cincinnati Drug & Poison Information Center (1-800-222-1222). This warning is being sent to inform parents, prevention and treatment professionals, law enforcement and educators of this emerging trend. Please distribute this information through list serves, newsletters or bulletin boards, etc. using the Ohio Early Warning Network as your source.
For additional information on the above alert contact The Ohio Resource Network for Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities, P.O. Box 210109, 2624 Clifton Ave Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0109 Phone # 1-800-788-7254 (opt#2).
To participate in this OEWN initiative, visit www.ebasedprevention.org and fill out the OEWN registration form (listserv). Anyone in Ohio can report an issue to the Ohio Early Warning Network by calling the toll-free non-emergency InfoLine at 1-866-OhioEWN.
This alert is brought to you by the Ohio Department of Education, Safe and Drug Free Schools Program, the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addictions Services, Division of Prevention Services, the Ohio National Guard and the Ohio Resource Network for Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities
The information appearing on this alert is presented for educational purposes only. While the information published on this site is believed to be accurate, it is not intended to substitute for your own informational gathering or professional medical advice.
