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For centuries, khat, scientifically known as Catha Edulis, is known by over 40 different street names including, kat, qat, chat, gat, tohai, tschat, and mirraa. Khat is a 6-12-foot flowering evergreen shrub or small tree native to East Africa and Southern Arabia. The fresh young leaves of the Catha Edulis shrub, has been consumed where the plant is cultivated, primarily in East Africa and the Arabian peninsula. There, chewing khat predates the use of coffee and is used in a similar social context. Chewed in moderation, khat alleviates fatigue and reduces appetite. Compulsive use may result in manic behavior with grandiose delusions or in a paranoid type of illness, sometimes accompanied by hallucinations. In some regions, like Harar, Ethiopia, it is a serious social problem. In the street of Harar there are hundreds of addicted, from beggars to policemen ,from youth to tootless old who help themselves crushing khat leaves in wooden mortars into a pulp easy to swallow. Khat is everywhere and bulged mouths too.


Czat to liście pobudzającej i lekko halucynogennej rośliny, jaka jest konsumowana od stuleci w rejonie Rogu Afryki. Na ulicach Hararu, w Etiopii, kręcą się setki uzależnionych od czatu, od żebraków po policjantów, od młodych wyrostków po bezzębnych starców niezdolnych do żucia, ale miażdżących liście tej pobudzającej używki w drewnianych moździerzach tak aż stanie się gotowa do ssania. Czat jest tu wszędzie, i wypełnione nim policzki również.