Chuka asks questions on khat
Following concerns raised by members of the Somali community in Streatham, Chuka tabled a parliamentary question on the substance khat, which is currently legal in the UK.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary for Crime Reduction gave the following reply:
“The Department commissioned two studies in 2009 to explore the social harms associated with khat use, though the perceived health effects of khat are also briefly reported on in each of the studies. The first of these is a mainly qualitative study undertaken among the UK’s Somali, Yemeni and Ethiopian communities exploring perceptions of the social harms associated with khat use and perceptions of the appropriate role of Government intervention (the study also included a short survey of drug action teams to gauge the availability of treatment service provision for khat users). The second is a review of the national and international literature examining the evidence on the social harms associated with khat and the impact of legislation in countries which have legislated against khat use and supply.
“In addition, the British crime survey report “Drug Misuse Declared 2009/10″, published on 22 July 2010, for the first time includes estimates of the prevalence of khat use in the general population. Preliminary findings (based on six months data) show that 0.2% of adults reported using khat in the last year.”
Do you think that the use of khat should be banned? Or should it remain legal? Chuka is keen to hear your views.
