Yemeni Children on Qat: An Imitation That Becomes an Addiction

Over half a million Yemeni children are directly or indirectly affected by qat, a flowering plant that holds importance in Yemen’s culture and is chewed by many across the country.  According to researchers the average person in Yemen spends 10-20 percent of their income towards buying the plant. Families of all income levels spend three to four hours of their day chewing the bitter leaves as part of their daily routine. What is worrisome, however, is how children are chewing qat too.  “It starts as an imitation of the elderly, then progresses to an addiction and later a habit”, says Mohammed al-Asaadi, Communication Officer, UNICEF Yemen.  The country is seeing an increase in daily users with 15-20 percent of children under the age of 12 being consumers according to World Health Organization (WHO). About 90 percent of adult men are believed to chew qat, while 73 percent of Yemeni women are estimated to chew it for leisurely purposes, reports WHO. (Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/07/06/224829.html)