Before the ban - an exploratory study of a local khat market in East London, U.K

What is it about?

This article presents an analysis of a local khat market in Tower Hamlets, London before khat was criminalized in June of 2014. Khat sellers were interviewed about their business and they defined the khat cafés as community centers catering mostly to adult men with Somali ethnic background. Those under 18 years of age were barred from buying khat, khat bundles were not labeled, and potential risks regarding khat use were not advertised.

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Why is it important?

This study is unique in that it is the first one to present a detailed analysis of a local khat market in the UK during the time when khat was sold as a legal commodity. Khat has since been criminalized and a replication of the study is now impossible to do. However, we argue that the now illicit market for khat should be investigated, to allow for the development of harm reduction measures.