At Narconon Suncoast we have encountered users of a variety of drugs.  These include illegal drugs as well as prescription drugs.  Because of this exposure, we run up against drugs that have not been reported on nearly as much as more popular drugs like heroin or methamphetamine.  However, because these newly popular drugs are increasing in use, we feel a need to reveal the truth about them.  One such drug is called “khat.”

Khat (also called qat, qaad, Arabian tea, chat or kat) comes from a shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.  It is a stimulant which is often socially and legally used in its native area – but which is illegal in the United States.  Khat can be chewed, brewed into tea, sprinkled on food, or smoked.  It is most potent when fresh leaves are chewed like chewing tobacco.

Currently, the Drug Enforcement Administration does not have khat listed under a drug schedule, however, one of the chemicals contained in khat is a Schedule I drug.  This means that it has no acceptable medical use, is not safe enough to be used under medical supervision, and carries a high risk potential for abuse.

The chemicals in khat that cause the stimulant and addictive affects are called cathinone and cathine.  They are structured in a similar way to how amphetamines are structured.  This causes a similar stimulant effect to amphetamine, but khat is less potent than amphetamines.  Ultimately, these chemicals raise the levels of the brain chemical dopamine – which increases the feelings of pleasure in the user.  This means that, while taking khat, the user will feel euphoric and happy.  When the drug wears off, they often feel depressed and irritable – and have trouble eating and sleeping.  The first impulse of a user to prevent the uncomfortable feelings they experience after their high is to take more of the drug.

Khat has a similar effect in the brain as ADHD medications like Adderrall.  This is because the active ingredients in khat are chemically similar to amphetamines (which is what ADHD medications essentially are).  It’s even being called a “natural amphetamine.”  Both of these drugs trigger the reward pathways in the brain and cause the user to crave it when the effect has worn off.  They even have some similar side effects. The side effects from taking khat are:

• Nightmares or interrupted sleep
• Tremors
• Constipation
• Stomach discomfort like nausea or vomiting
• Depression
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
• Tooth decay
• Gum disease
• Stomach ulcers
• Increased risk of tumors in the stomach or intestines
• Heart attack
• Death

While these side effects can be very serious, khat is growing in popularity in the US – mainly among the growing population of those who have emigrated from countries like Ethiopia or Yemen.  This drug is part of the social structure of those communities – despite its addictiveness and ill effects.  However, while the popularity of the drug grows, there are some outspoken people in these communities who see the harmful effects of this drug use and are fighting to educate those around them.

The current concern among law enforcement officials is that khat – which is currently only sold in its bulky leaf form – may become refined.  There is a pill in Israel called hagigat which has emerged on the club scene.  This is a “party” version of the drug and has law enforcement worried that this refined form of khat might become the next big drug in the US.  As a community, we can all prevent such a spread by educating our children on these and any other drugs they might be exposed to.

If you or someone you know is addicted to a drug – prescription or illegal – contact us at (877) 850-7355.  We have years of experience helping those afflicted by drug addiction get drug-free and healthy for life.  

Refs: LA Times, Live Science, DrugFree.org, DrugAbuse.gov