Almost all of the respondents expressed concern about young people using khat. More than half of the key informants interviewed believed that the law was not a deterrent and many felt there was a lack of awareness of the law. Most of the people interviewed were not aware of any information available to their community about khat. Almost all of the respondents stated that the community would benefit from information about khat. Recommendations More information about khat must be developed in all relevant East African languages.
More research is needed on the health effects of khat use.
The relationship between problems related to khat use and the stresses faced by new immigrants, including isolation, loss of extended family and lack of community support, needs to be explored. A network of community workers and members should be established to share information and raise the issue of khat use in a culturally sensitive manner. Legal information should be collected on charges, convictions and penalties to monitor the impact of changes to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act regarding khat. Counselling for people with khat-related problems must be identified, promoted and increased if necessary. Until recently, khat was little known outside the region of East Africa and the Southwestern portion of the Arabian Peninsula.