Synopses & Reviews
Khat is a natural substance that, in the Middle East, is as ubiquitous as coffee in the West. It is hugely popular in some African and Arab populations. But critics contend that it is a seriously addictive stimulant that damages the cardiovascular system. In a groundbreaking study, the authors go behind the veil of the drug, questioning its availability and its affect on its Red Sea producers. Interwoven with case studies from Djibouti to Rome, The Khat Controversy goes deeper to explore contemporary issues relating to globalization, ethnicity and culture. The first study of this contested drug, Khat provides a concise introduction to the issues surrounding Khat usage and suggests how policymakers should address them.
Synopsis
Khat. A harmless natural stimulant or a lethal epidemic sweeping through the international drugs trade? Khat is a natural substance that, in the Middle East, is as ubiquitous as coffee is in the West. It is hugely popular in some African and Arab populations. But critics contend that it is a seriously addictive stimulant that damages the cardiovascular system.In a groundbreaking study, the authors go behind the veil of the drug, questioning its availability and its effect on its Red Sea producers. Interwoven with case studies from Djibouti to Rome, The Khat Controversy goes deeper to explore contemporary issues relating to globalization, ethnicity and culture. With its popularity escalating in London, Rome, Toronto and Copenhagen, khat is fast becoming a problem in the West. The first study of this contested drug, The Khat Controversy provides a concise introduction to the issues surrounding khat usage and suggests how policymakers should address them.The Khat Controversy: Stimulating the Debate on Drugs has received an honorable mention for the African Studies Association's 2008 Melville J. Herskovits Award
Synopsis
The first study of this contested drug, Khat provides a concise introduction to the issues surrounding khat usage and suggests how policymakers should address them.
About the Author
David Anderson is Lecturer in African Studies, University of Oxford and Research Fellow, St Antony's College, Oxford. Susan Beckerleg is an International Consultant who specializes in the social aspects of illicit substance use. Degol Hailu is Research Fellow at the Centre for Development Policy and Research of the School of Oriental African Studies, University of London. Axel Klein is Head of the International Unit at DrugScope.
Table of Contents
Introduction * Khat: Whence and Whither * The Ambivalent Amphetamine - Khat Importation and Use in the Diaspora * Khat and the Community in London * The Growth of the UK mafrish * Patterns of Importation and Distribution * Khat and Crime - Is there a Link? * Medical Evidence or Moral Panic? The Campaign for Tougher Controls on Khat * Understanding the Evidence - Khat and Health * Khat use in the Matrix of Gender Relations and Western Islam * Come the Professionals - Substance Use and Identity * Khat as the Icon of an Emerging Community * The Juggernaut of Prohibition * Khat Control and Xenophobia * Banning Khat - the Experience from Scandinavia and Canada * Khat use in Kenya and Uganda * Cash Crop of Choice - Khat Production, Consumption and Export in the Horn * Khat Cultivation within the Agrarian Context in Ethiopia * Subsistence Farming and Agrarian Transformation * The Curse of the Green Gold * Diversifying into the Dollar Leaf * Commodification of Khat in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia * The 'Big Four' Khat Exporters * The '571 Empire' * Khat through the Mail * Consumerism in African Cities * Khat in Addis Ababa: Social Scourge or Harmless Pastime? * Khat in Djibouti City: A Matter of Life and Death * Conclusion * References