Khat ban faces new hurdle as Lib Dems withdraw support

A LIB Dem revolt has raised doubts over a planned ban on the stimulant khat.

Khat, used widely in Somali communities across the UK including Bristol, could be banned under new laws proposed by Home Secretary Theresa May.

But two Lib Dem members of a committee meeting this afternoon to discuss the ban have spoken out in opposition.

However, if Labour members of the cross party committee vote in favour, the potential law will pass to the House of Commons for a likely positive vote.

In a column in The Guardian today, Lib Dem Julian Huppert said he will vote against making it a criminal offence to sell, buy, or chew khat.

He said: “Making these substances illegal doesn’t stop people consuming them – it just drives the trade underground.”

He added: “There is no gang or organised crime currently associated with khat use. When criminalised in other countries, organised crime has, for obvious reasons, stepped in to provide the supply; there’s no evidence that demand reduces.

“In addition, we would be asking the police to enforce a ban that only affects specific ethnic groups – hardly a recipe for good race relations.”

He also said banning the stimulant would have adverse effects on the khat farmers in Kenya and Somalia where Islamist militants Al-Shabaab operate. He said there were fears banning the substance and taking away farmers’ revenue could destabilise the region further.

Mr Huppart started his article by saying khat, traditionally chewed by people from the Horn of Africa, is a “mild stimulant – roughly on a par with a strong cup of coffee.”

He added: “It is not considered particularly addictive, and there’s no clear evidence that it causes either physical or social harms. It is imported perfectly legally, and taxes are paid on it, to the tune of £12.8m each year.”

Having tried khat when researching the extent of its use in Bristol, I can safely say it is stronger than a strong cup of coffee.

A visit to a mafrish – a cafe for people who chew khat – showed there was overwhelming support for a ban from users and much of the Somali community in Bristol.

Today Mohamed Cantoobo, chairman of Act for Somalia and the Somali Forum in Bristol, said on Twitter:

 

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