Alaska Dispatch
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Is khat catching on among seafood industry workers
trying to stay awake while working long hours of overtime, joining a
long list of more familiar stimulants from coffee to pharmaceutical
amphetamines? Maybe.
Khat, a drug well known in east Africa, has
likely made another appearance in Unalaska. On June 30, 22 grams in a
zippered plastic bag were turned in to the Unalaska Department of
Public Safety, according to police chief Jamie Sunderland.
A
suspect has been identified as possessing the substance, found in the
area of the Unisea seafood processing plant, Sunderland said. The green
leafy material has been sent to a laboratory to determine if it is in
fact khat ,he said. If confirmed, the suspect is expected to face
criminal charges of about the same level as possession of marijuana, he
said.
“We’ve run into it before on a very limited basis,”
Sunderland said, describing khat as a “mild drug that people chew.” As
an illegal drug, khat is classified at about the same level as marijuana
which he said it resembles at first glance.
Looked at more
closely, it looks different than pot, lacking buds, he said. He
described the appearance as green and leafy and containing stems, and
with an odor that’s different from marijuana.
Khat
(pronounced “cot”) is a stimulant drug derived from a shrub (Catha
edulis) that is native to East Africa including Somalia and Ethiopia,
the homelands of a substantial number of immigrants in the cosmopolitan
seafood processing sector of Unalaska/Dutch Harbor.
The
khat plant itself is not scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act;
however, because one of the mind-altering chemicals found in it,
cathinone, is a Schedule I drug (a controlled substance with no
recognized therapeutic use), the federal government considers khat use
illegal, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, a federal
agency.
Leaves of the khat shrub are typically chewed and
held in the cheek, like chewing tobacco, to release their stimulant
chemicals. The main psychoactive ingredients in khat are cathinone and
cathine. These chemicals are structurally similar to amphetamine and
result in similar stimulant effects in the brain and body, although they
are less potent. Like other stimulants, cathinone and cathine stimulate
the release of the stress hormone and neurotransmitter norepinephrine
and raise the level of the neurotransmitter dopamine in brain circuits
regulating pleasure and movement, according to NIDA.
It is estimated that as many as 10 million people worldwide chew
khat. It is commonly found in the southwestern part of the Arabian
Peninsula and in East Africa, where it has been used for centuries as
part of an established cultural tradition. In one large study in Yemen,
82 percent of men and 43 percent of women reported at least one lifetime
episode of khat use. Its current use among particular migrant
communities in the United States and in Europe has caused concern among
policymakers and health care professionals. No reliable estimates of
prevalence in the United States exist, according to NIDA.
Chewing
khat leaves is reported to induce a state of euphoria and elation as
well as feelings of increased alertness and arousal. The effects begin
to subside after about 90 minutes to 3 hours, but can last 24 hours. At
the end of a khat session, the user may experience a depressed mood,
irritability, loss of appetite, and difficulty sleeping.
In
addition to its psychological effects, khat users can also experience
physiological effects typically produced by stimulants, including an
increase in blood pressure and heart rate, according to NIDA.
There
are a number of adverse physical effects that have been associated with
heavy or long-term use of khat, including tooth decay and periodontal
disease; gastrointestinal disorders such as constipation, ulcers,
inflammation of the stomach, and increased risk of upper
gastrointestinal tumors; and cardiovascular disorders such as irregular
heart-beat, decreased blood flow, and heart attack, according to NIDA
There
is also consistent epidemiologic evidence for a weak association
between chronic khat use and mental disorders. Although there is no
evidence that khat use causes mental illness, chewing khat leaves may
worsen symptoms in patients who have pre-existing psychiatric
conditions.