Khat to be banned

Gilly · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:32

So I've just watched a piece on khat and the plan to ban it over the next few days.

It doesn't appear to be harmful. It doesn't appear to directly cause any health problems at all. In fact, the only reason given is that it acts as a stimulant much like caffeine, and some Somali men chew it all night and sleep all day instead of going out to work and the women affected don't like it.

Surely, ban it, they will simply find something else? It's not khat that is the problem, it is the individual.

Does anyone know different? Is it harmful, and the news piece misleading?

ElliorR · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:37

I thought this was going to be about some forum member and a new style of modding with keeping us informed.

Efour · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:39

Link For anyone else that didnt have a clue what he was on about.

Every culture has its pick me ups.

arc@css · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:40

I thought it was supposed to bring out some aggression in the user. Not sure how accurate that is though.

Reminds me of reading Michael Durant's book 'In the Company of Heroes', where the Somalis were high on it during the fighting between them and the Americans.

Gilly · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:40

Sorry about that, I thought I had missed something and expected people to know more about it than I.

The point is not really about what is being banned but the reason for it. Some of the Somali women don't like it, and that's about it.

{SAS}TB · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:41

ElliorR said:
I thought this was going to be about some forum member and a new style of modding with keeping us informed.

Lol, me too and thought "whooooo?"

Lisapete · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:44

Well it ain't British so why we allowing it here. Looking at the heals risks with it as well that's our NHS money that's got to pay for them. Plus I only see foreign nationals using it. Ban it.

I was confused if this was to do with a member being banned

Herman Gelmet · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:44

ban him

Oh and prohibition never works

Info from the Erowid archives...

http://www.erowid.org/plants/khat/khat.shtml

BaDBoY_uK · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:45

{SAS}TB said:
Lol, me too and thought "whooooo?"

+2. Disappointed

Glaucus · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:45

Sounds like a stupid ban,. Basically everyone advised against a band, but they pushed ooh with it.

Can we have a fact based democracy please, where such laws aren't allowed to be passed without scientific peer reviewed evidence.

tnx · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:45

I tried it with nettles once.

Just say NO !

Glaucus · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:46

Gilly said:
Sorry about that, I thought I had missed something and expected people to know more about it than I.

The point is not really about what is being banned but the reason for it. Some of the Somali women don't like it, and that's about it.

And 112 people who were treated for drugs had used chat in thrashed. Pathetic.!

Cosimo · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:46

{SAS}TB said:
Lol, me too and thought "whooooo?"

Same here.

Freakbro · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:47

Well Professor Nutt (ex-head of the Advisory Council on the Mis-use of Drugs) feels it's no more harmful than coffee and the reason it was banned over here was pressure from the US, where they banned it a while ago (due to one of the constituent drugs of the plant, cathinone, being on their controlled substance list) and because it was still freely available over here, we were a smuggling transit.

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/the-khat-ban-is-harmful-and-pointless

Nitefly · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:48

Gilly said:
It's not khat that is the problem, it is the individual.

Replace khat with various illegal recreational drugs in that sentence, perhaps?

(That sounded like a cryptic crossword clue \o/)

Hades · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:48

I just had to look it up. There is some link to mouth cancers but not proven. Also some of the profit goes to extremist groups in Africa. But I agree it seems to be a ban based on the views of some Somali women. I'm sure my wife doesn't like me drinking occasionally but I'd be livid if she petitioned it to be banned.

Gilly · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:49

Lisapete said:
Well it ain't British so why we allowing it

What the hell does that have to do with it?

Nitefly said:
Replace khat with various illegal recreational drugs in that sentence, perhaps?

Ones that we know have health issues?

Gilly · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:51

Freakbro said:
Well Professor Nutt (ex-head of the Advisory Council on the Mis-use of Drugs) feels it's no more harmful than coffee and the reason it was banned over here was pressure from the US, where they banned it a while ago (due to one of the constituent drugs of the plant, cathinone, being on their controlled substance list) and because it was still freely available over here, we were a smuggling transit.

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/the-khat-ban-is-harmful-and-pointless

Ah, that makes a bit more sense.

No less worrying that we've banned it because another country doesn't like it, but at least there is a reason.

Nitefly · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:52

Gilly said:
Ones that we know have health issues?

More so than alcohol?

I suppose the point I'm making is that these things are banned on a blanket moral policy rather than anything else.

Glaucus · 21 Jun 2014 at 08:56

Nitefly said:
More so than alcohol?

I suppose the point I'm making is that these things are banned on a blanket moral policy rather than anything else.

Plenty have far more than alcohol. The reason alcohol is scored so highly, is how many people partake. It's not particle addictive or bad for you health..