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"Qat: The plague of Yemen"
"Still popular, qat chews provide an important forum for debate and dialogue in Yemen. Nearly every Yemeni chews; even old age and toothlessness fail to stop some. Taking a closer look at the agricultural, social, community, and health effects that this plant has on qat chewers will help us understand why it is so dangerous to Yemenis. [...]
"According to some research, qat can induce mild euphoria, and although this side effect is considered to be a positive as it stimulates conversation, there are many other effects that are clearly negative to qat chewers. Euphoria followed by mild depression is a common occurance in qat consumers, and these sudden highs and lows can be classified as manic. Further psychological consequences include hallucinations and nightmares.
"Qat may also cause a loss of appetite, constipation, withdrawal symptoms, slight tremors and decreased libido. Research indicates that qat can cause ulceration of the gums and gastrointestinal tract, as wells as permanent teeth discoloration. Long term use can also precipitate renal and liver disease.
"Finally, many of the pesticides used to protect qat leaves from insects and bugs are not regulated; thus, excessive and improper usage has been associated with many types of cancers in qat chewers, including oral, gastrointestinal, liver, renal and bladder cancers, just to name a few. [...]
"Qat is the plague of Yemen and we need to work together on discouraging the habit of qat chewing and terminating its cultivation in order to ensure a more promising and fruitful future for the generations to come".
Source: Yemen Observer (Yemen), February 26, 2008
Posted at: 2008-03-25
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