Drugs advisory group decides against banning qat in UK

Home Office-commissioned report finds no evidence of links to organised crime or Somalia's al-Shabab Islamist group
The Guardian (UK)
Wednesday, January 23, 2013

khat-sellingA clash between the home secretary, Theresa May, and her expert drugs advisory group is looming after it decided against banning qat, a mild herbal stimulant, traditionally used in Britain's Somali, Yemeni and Ethiopian communities. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs said there was insufficient evidence that Qat caused health or wider societal problems to justify a ban in Britain.