THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN YOUTH AND QAT - WHO WILL PREVAIL?

A Yemeni-youth gathering at the Al-Afeef Cultural Foundation provided
some interesting insights into young people's perception of this
social phenomenon. During this discussion, experiences were shared
and awareness raised about the hazardous physical and psychological
side-effects of qat.

In a bid to further combat the spread of this habit, the symposium
held earlier this month revealed some creative news ways to help
Yemeni youths stop consuming their time, money and minds with qat.

Organizers of the symposium, which saw a number of young Yemenis
share their experiences, also aimed to assess the extant to which the
youth of today are eager to kick the habit.

Aiman Al-Hamadi, a student in the faculty of pharmacology at Sana'a
University, is vehemently anti-qat, and during the symposium he
talked about his experiences when chewing. He also mentioned the
story of how qat first came to Yemen.

According to him, qat came to Yemen through Ethiopia. Sufi scholars
apparently brought the qat tree to Yemen along with their religious
customs. These scholars used to chew qat in the mosques, and so it
wasn't long before Yemenis followed suit and became hooked.

Al-Hamadi explained the hazardous substances in qat. He said that qat
leaves contain the amphetamine-like chemical cathinone, which is why
qat chewers are often addicted. Al-Hamadi also claims to no longer
chew qat.

Another youth, who occasionally chews qat at the weekends, disagrees
with Al-Hamadi saying that Yemenis chew qat not because it is
addictive, but because they are forced to chew as a mental escape
from economic problems. He also believes that chewing qat is only one
of the many problems facing Yemenis today.

Ahmed Al-Nakhotha, leader of the Anti Qat Chewing Journey, disagrees,
instead saying that chewing qat is a completely personal habit; no
one will force you to chew. He also noted that that if someone wants
to give up chewing, he must be determined.

Al-Hamadi supported the idea that determination is the only way to
give up the habit, and related a story about his own experience. He
said that one day he and his father visited friends in their village
and after lunch they were offered qat leaves, but they refused to
chew. The host then threatened to shoot them if they would not chew!
Because their host would not respect their personal wishes, they left
the house never to return again.

Nasser Al-Shama'a, an officer at the Sana'a based NGO Life's Makers
Club, said that the United Nations in 1973 classified qat as the 15th
type of drug. He added that most qat chewers in Yemen are youths, and
that there are statistics suggesting the qat chewing can lead to
other drug addictions.

Another youth spoke out about how important this topic is to Yemeni
youths, and expressed his interest in giving up qat. He highlighted
that Yemeni youths are suffering from a surplus of free time; since
there are no cultural activities to engage them, they often turn to
qat for entertainment.

Al-Nakhotha commented that justifications for chewing qat are many
varied, yet almost universally weak and unjustifiable.

A mother of four children attended the seminar and expressed her
opinion, saying, "I have four children, and my dream is for them to
grow up never having chewed qat.

Dr. Ali Al-Midwahi, head of the Family Unit in the Ministry of Public
Health and Population, attended the symposium and said that while
many issues had been discussed, he wondered how relevant or close the
reality they are.

He concluded that the issues surrounding the habit of chewing have
two dimensions; behavioral, and economic.

He suggested that to help our youth give up chewing, information
concerning the hazards of qat should first be made available. Second,
there should be incentives offered to those who want to quit. Third,
is that we should provide viable healthier alternatives to qat-based
gatherings. Finally, we should consider finding a balance between
elements of punishment and reward.

He explained that qat addiction is purely psychological, since qat
users are able to stop chewing in societies where it is frowned upon.

Some of the speakers at the seminar said that qat farmers will have
little other sources of income if qat markets are eliminated from the
cities.

Female youths spoke at the end of the symposium, and said that qat
chewing has unfortunately become a cultural phenomenon among Yemenis,
especially intellectuals and students.

Al-Midwahi said that the Ministry of Public Health and Population
intend to carry out a survey in 2009 about qat chewing in Yemen. He
revealed that the Ministry is currently preparing the questions.