Khat is a plant that contains cathinone and cathine. These chemicals speed up messages between the brain and body. Khat can make you feel alert, energetic or anxious.
People chew the green leaves of the plant.
Chewing khat is common in some countries in East Africa and the Middle East.
Drug category: stimulant
Stimulants speed up messages between the brain and body. They can make you feel alert or energetic. But they can also cause anxiety, paranoia and heart problems.
Other names for khat
Other names include: quat, qat, ghat, catha edulis, qaakda
Effects of khat
The effects of khat can vary depending on:
- your size, weight and sex
- if you have any health conditions or mental health difficulties
- how you take the drug
- the strength of the drug
- how much you take
- if you take alcohol, medicines or other drugs at the same time
- where you take the drug and how you feel before you take it
- if you have taken the drug before and how often
The effects can take up to 1 hour to start and can last up to 3 hours.
How you may feel or behave
You may feel:
- alert, energetic or confident
- confused, paranoid or anxious
- unaware of time, it could speed up or slow down
- intense wellbeing or happiness (euphoria)
- disconnected from your body
- affectionate
- aggressive
Effects on your brain and body
Khat can cause:
- nausea (feeling sick)
- problems sleeping
- loss of appetite - this can affect your health and energy levels over time
- hallucinations - you may see or hear things that are not there
- mouth infections
- lower inhibitions - you may do things you would not usually do
- increased sex drive
- gum problems
- breathing problems
- heart problems
- liver problems
- fertility problems in males, such as low sperm count
Khat and mental health
Khat may cause mental health difficulties or make existing difficulties worse.
Mental health difficulties linked with using khat include:
- anxiety
- low mood or depression
- psychosis - you have confused thoughts, feelings and behaviour and you do not know what is real or not real
If you use khat and have mental health difficulties, you can get support for both.
Organisations that provide mental health supports and services
Khat and dependency
Regular use of khat can cause dependency.
Signs of dependency can include:
- cravings for a drug
- withdrawal symptoms
- continuing to use a drug even when it causes you harm
You may feel you need khat to do certain things. But chewing khat may be less likely to cause cravings than taking cathinone in another form.
Withdrawal symptoms
If you stop taking khat after regular use, you may get withdrawal symptoms.
These include:
- low mood or depression
- tiredness
How long does khat stay in your system?
It can be hard to know how long khat stays in your system.
There are tests to detect cathinone and cathine. But different types of tests have different detection times.
Things that affect how long a drug stays in your system
The time it takes for a drug to leave your system depends on many things.
For example:
- how much you took
- how often you take the drug
- how strong the drug was
- your age, sex and metabolism
- your general health
Reducing risks from khat
It’s always safest not to take drugs.
There are ways to reduce the risk of harm if you use khat. Select a piece of advice to find out more.
Consider if there is extra risk for you - such as health conditions or how you feel.
There are always risks if you use drugs. But some people may be more at risk than others.
If you or someone in your family has any health conditions or mental health difficulties, you may be more at risk of a drug emergency.
For example, if you have:
- liver problems
- heart problems
It can be hard to know your level of risk. Some people have health conditions and do not know it.
If you feel low, anxious or stressed, you are more at risk of a negative or challenging experience.
Start with a small amount and wait 2 hours before you take more.
This is to reduce the risk of negative effects on your health.
The strength of khat can vary.
If you start with a small amount, you can:
- see how you react
- stop if you get an effect you did not expect or do not want
Keep track of what you use.
Take breaks between use to reduce your risk of tolerance.
Make sure you get enough food and rest.
Wash khat before you chew it.
People who grow khat often use strong chemicals to kill pests on the plant (pesticides).
Some of the pesticides found on khat can cause:
- poisoning
- health problems such as cancer over time
Washing khat can remove some of the pesticides.
Think about your sexual health.
Khat can reduce your inhibitions and increase your sex drive.
There are things you can do to look after yourself and your partners if you could have sex when you take drugs.
Mixing khat with alcohol or other drugs
Using khat with alcohol, medicines or other drugs can have unpredictable and negative effects.
There is a higher risk of heart problems if you mix khat with other drugs that speed up messages between your brain and body.
For example:
Emergency action required: Call 112 or 999 if
you or someone else has taken khat and has:
- severe distress, confusion or panic - they cannot calm down and may be a danger to themselves or others
- chest pain
- increased temperature or hot skin
- problems breathing
Stay with the person until help arrives.
Tell the medics everything you know about the drug and give them any leftover drug if possible. It will help them decide the right treatment.
If you are worried about khat use
If you are worried about your own or someone else’s use, you can get support. This can be when khat use affects your health, relationships, work or other areas of your life.
Non-urgent advice: Drugs and alcohol helpline
You can contact the helpline for support, information or advice on treatment and support options.
Freephone: 1800 459 459
Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm
Email: helpline@hse.ie