Director, International Council on Alcohol and Addictions

 

I have great pleasure in welcoming you to this first interdisciplinary conference on khat, in the beautiful city of Antananarivo, capital of the Democratic Republic of Madagascar. We are extremely grateful to the authorities here for making possible the holding of this meeting in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and for putting at our disposal the necessary facilities for the conference. In this regard I would particularly like to thank the local organizer, Mr. Maurice Randrianame, for all he has done to make the necessary arrangements for our meeting.

 

First of all I would like to give some words of explanation as to why ICAA has taken the initiative in convening this conference. Over the last half-century there has been increasing concern, in a number of countries, about the abuse of khat particularly from the health and social-economic viewpoints. In 1921 already some legislative action was taken, for example, in the then British Somaliland, to try to regulate consumption and in the 1930s the matter was raised in the League of Nations. It was not until 1956, however, that an ongoing concern with the ,results of khat consumption commenced, when the matter was brought to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the United Nations. Since then the subject has received increasing attention, not only in the United Nations Commission and Division of Narcotics, but also by a number of other organizations such as the Pan-Arab Organization for Social Defense, the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the ICAA.

 

The United Nations Division, through its laboratory, has conducted important research on the constituents of khat, and this research was the subject of a conference here in Madagascar in 1977. Some of those present here attended that meeting. Their report has been forwarded to the World Health Organization which is making its own studies on the subject. The World Health Organization, of course, has had the problem of dependence on khat under review for some time, having carried out studies in khat producing and consuming countries in the 1960s and early 1970s.

 

The problems of khat consumption have not, however, until now been the subject of an international multidisciplinary conference. The question has not received the attention it deserves, having often been treated with other drugs whose problems are quite different. Although a joint meeting of representatives of FAO, WHO, and UNICEF held in 1971 proposed an international seminar or conference specifically on khat, to review the socio-economic and health sequelae of habitual khat chewing including also reference to production, export, import and control regulations as well as rehabilitative and educational measures. Such a conference does not seem to have taken place.

 

ICAA felt it would be valuable if the problem in all its aspects could be examined by those from different countries experienced in the subject and that it would be important to bring together not only experts on the botany, chemistry and pharmacology of khat but also those in the fields of medicine, sociology, anthropology, economics, agriculture jurisprudence and religion. It was felt that a valuable exchange of information and discussion would ensue, which might result in bringing more light to bear on the results of khat use. This is especially so as there is evidence of a growing production of khat, and it is spreading to some countries where hitherto it has not been significant. This is the opinion of a committee of experts from African countries which met in Rabat, Morocco, last year. This committee declared that "in view of the results of recent research into the chemical properties of khat and the fact that its use seems to be spreading, especially in some parts of Africa, the meeting recommends that the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs consider placing khat under international control".

 

This raises many issues and there is much need for further information on khat, particularly on the health and socio-economic aspects and its successful replacement by other crops. We should also bear in mind that parts of the world other than the traditional khat-consuming areas may be affected. In an article in a U.S. paper recently headed "CATHINONE - New Drug Menace ?" Dr. Charles A. Schuster of the Department of Psychiatry and Pharmacology of the University of Chicago is quoted as saying that if Cathinone is ever available there is no question but that it could create the same problem as Cocaine.

 

ICAA hopes that the opportunity here for discussion between so many well-informed and experienced participants, will prove to be fruitful and constructive and will provide valuable information on the whole question. I should emphasize that this conference is an independent one and the views here expressed do not in any way commit participants or their governments.

 

I would like to make some comments on the programme. Although this is divided into various subjects, it has been difficult to make rigid divisions. In fact, one interesting aspect of the research on khat has been the fact that most of those carrying out this research have been interested not only in their own particular discipline, but have concerned themselves with the whole area of study on khat. This I feel is a very positive factor, since it will make it more easy for us to have an integrated conference, which really should be the objective of all interdisciplinary cooperation. Accordingly, and since this is a relatively small conference, we have not scheduled separate working groups in the belief that at least in this first khat conference, it would be good to have general discussions and comments on each subject. I hope further that you will feel free to take part actively in the discussions of each section.

 

We have provided the opportunity for the conference to make recommendations and if this is your wish, at some stage we would appoint a committee to look into this question.

 

I hope you will find the conference useful and interesting, and I trust it will help to advance understanding of the problem of khat usage and how best this may be dealt with in the future.