Qat and It's Effects.

In Chapter 2, Yemens Confessions of a Qat-Eater in Baghdad Without a Map, qat is seen as a supplement and a reason for social gathering rather than a drug. In this chapter it seems to be no issue in the Yemen, therefore it seems to be harmless. I question its harmlessness because it is illegal in our nation. As I read more and briefly researched about at, I wondered if it could be compared to marijuana in our country. For many years there has been a controversy over the legalization of marijuana. The effects that follow smoking marijuana are a faster heartbeat and pulse rate, bloodshot eyes, and a dry mouth or throat. This are the immediately physical effects. There is scientifically proved evidence that proves that marijuana neither effects or improves hearing or eyesight. Studies show that this drug can impair or reduce short term memory, alert sense of time, and it also can prohibit an individual to do things that require concentration, swift reactions, and coordination. The effects of qat, on the other hand, include alertness and energy. Users have reported that after using at they have a clarity of thoughts and increased concentration which it quite the opposite of marijuana, so that comparison was no longer valid. Qat also can result in increased aggression. I then wondered why it is that qat is still illegal in the US? All of it’s effects seem to be positive. As I researched more I ran into something very puzzling. Recently the president of Yemen has stopped chewing qat in order to set an example for the rest of his nation. One of his reasons for quitting was religious. Religious radicals object to the use of qat, I found this so interesting because it seems that the population of Yemen, along with the rest of the Middle East, hold religion so highly but then they do something that their religious sees as “morally wrong.” Another reason was that many Yemen’s illnesses have been blamed on qat. Yemenis usually spend about 4-6 hours buying and chewing qat per day. The amount of time they spend around qat is ridiculous, they could be doing productive work in an attempt to help their struggling economy. Studies show that some Yemenis spend over half of their income on this drug. To meet the popular demand for qat one third of the nations agriculture is devoted to growing this non-nutritional plant. It seems to me that the obsession of this drug could be holding their economy back. This drug was once used as a luxury, not an every day occurrence that takes over many lives. It is said that most of Yemen shuts down after lunch time because everyone goes and chews qat in the afternoon so the effects will wear off before night time. “Qat very good for the head”, someone said in the second chapter. “Chew qat are you will stop caring about many things”, but stop caring about too much? I now realize why qat is illegal in our nation. Just because it doesn’t have any immediate negative or dangerous effects, such as marijuana, does not mean it doesn’t have any negative effects. The negative effects of qat come in the long run.
-DPD