Khat (cont.)
In this Article
- What is Khat and what are the street names for Khat?
- What does Khat look like?
- How is Khat used?
- What are the health side effects of Khat use?
- Who uses Khat?
- How does Khat get to the United States?
- Who much does Khat cost?
- Find a local Doctor in your town
What does Khat look like?
- Khat is a flowering evergreen shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
- Khat that is sold and abused is usually just the leaves, twigs, and shoots of the Khat shrub.
How is Khat used?
- Khat is typically chewed like tobacco.
- The fresh leaves, twigs, and shoots of the Khat shrub are chewed, and then retained in the cheek and chewed intermittently to release the active drug.
- Dried plant material can be made into tea or a chewable paste.
- Khat can also be smoked and even sprinkled on food.
What are the health side effects of Khat use?
- Common side effects include anorexia, tahycardia, hypertension, insomnia, and gastric disorders.
- Chronic Khat abuse can result in symptoms such as physical exhaustion, violence, and suicidal depression.
- Widespread frequent use of Khat impacts productivity because it tends to reduce worker motivation.
- Khat can induce manic behaviors, hyperactivity, and hallucinations.
- There are reports of Khat-induced psychosis.
Next: Who uses Khat?
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