Khat in the Neighbourhood—Local Government Responses to Khat Use in a London Community

Abstract

There is increasing fear among the general public about khat, its use and users, and associated crime. In many English cities, neighborhoods with growing Somali populations and emerging khat-using scenes and markets have to find ways of managing the impact of the negative image of khat. This case study describes and analyzes how a local municipal authority can respond constructively by generating an evidence base, engaging in consultation, and endeavoring to identify the actual relationship between reported criminality and public nuisance and the alleged patterns of use and distribution of khat. It is argued that it is important to frame the khat in the community not as a “drug problem” but as a wider public health issue, for which appropriate solutions can be developed.

Keywords:

• Khat
• community drug policy
• Somali
• harm reduction

Notes

Notes

¹ In the UK, controlled drugs are classified into three categories, ABC, according to their comparative harmfulness either to individuals or to society at large. No hard-and-fast guidelines were set down in the legislation that created the system, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, but it also created the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to keep the classification of drugs under review.