UK :Profile of khat and those who use it ( Info-graphic)

Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Briefing: The classification of khat as a Class C Controlled Drug

MPS Briefing: The classification of khat
This briefing covers the:
• Home Office decision to classify khat as a Class C Drug
• Profile of khat and those who use it
• Journey from cultivation to UK users
• Negative factors of khat use and associated policing issues
• Impact of khat classification
• Police enforcement model
• Available support and advice
• Kenyan Intervention: Delay to legislative process
Home Office decision to classify khat as a Class C Drug
On 3rd July 2013 the Home Secretary, Teresa May announced the governments intention classify khat as a class C Drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Teresa May stated that consideration had given to 2013 Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) report on khat, but her decision was based on broader concerns
Teresa May added that she was mindful that khat is banned in the majority of EU member states, most other G8 countries, and the UK was at risk of becoming a single, regional hub for illegal onward trafficking
• Khat (also known as Chat, Kat, Qat, Ghat, Cot and Miraa) is a herbal simulant grown in East African countries where is has historically been used for recreational purposes in social settings
• Consumption in the UK is mainly limited to particular migrant communities i.e Somalis, Yemenis, Ethiopians and Kenyans
• The highest percentage of people who use khat are from Somali and Yemeni communities
• Although there is evidence of increasing use amongst young people, chewers tend to be older than non-chewers and more men than women using khat