Although khat is illegal in the United States, it is legal throughout much of Europe, East Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula.2
Several million people may currently be using khat worldwide; the largest concentrations of users are in the regions surrounding the Middle East.2
Khat use has traditionally been confined to the regions where khat is grown, because only the fresh leaves have the desired stimulating effects. In recent years, mproved roads and the availability of off-road vehicles in or close to areas of cultivation and the possibility of air transportation has increased the global distribution of this non-storable commodity.1
Chronic khat abuse can result in symptoms such as physical exhaustion, violence, and suicidal depression, which are similar to amphetamine addiction. Common side effects include anorexia, tachycardia, hypertension, insomnia, and gastric disorders.2
Ya Ba, which means "crazy drug," comes from Thailand. Production and use of Ya Ba have soared in Thailand. Reports indicate that hundreds of millions of Ya Ba pills are produced, and many young people use, sell, and have become addicted to the drug.3
Ya Ba is the latest in a stream of so-called club drugs-illegal substances often used at night clubs and all-night dance parties. Like ecstasy, Ya Ba comes in the form of brightly colored pills, designed to be appealing to young people. Ya Ba pills may even be flavored to make them seem more like candy.3
Ya Ba is a pure and powerful form of the highly addictive stimulant methamphetamine. Ya Ba pills can be swallowed. As with other forms of methamphetamine, however, users often smoke the drug.3
Ya Ba puts a strain on the user's body by raising heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Users can become paranoid, aggressive, violent, and even suicidal. As with other forms of methamphetamine, users may keep taking Ya Ba to prolong the high and postpone the inevitable crash. Repeated use of the drug increases its physical dangers and creates a path to addiction.3
Research Excerpts
"'People didn't think it was dangerous,' says Chuanpit Choomwattana, a drug-policy expert at Thailand's Narcotics Control board. 'With heroin, you can see the addiction, the damage to people almost right away. Ya ba is more subtle at the start.'"4
Media Quotes
"Tommy knows how ya ba became Thailand's most widely abused drug. Sitting in a treatment center overlooking the boat traffic on a Bangkok canal, the soft-spoken young man with small hoop earrings expects 'to be fighting cravings for the rest of my life. When I took it, it felt like all of my problems melted away,' Tommy says. He was soon taking 12 pills a day. 'It's psychologically tiring, fighting against thinking about it all the time,' he says. 'I wake up in the morning with them on my mind: What color are they, how strong are they these days, how much do they cost? Ya ba has taken so much from me.'"4
