The Columbus Dispatch wrote Khat legislation worries Somali community
Friday, September 7, 2007
By Sherri Williams
Efforts to further criminalize khat, an illegal stimulant used here by some Somalis, should wait until East Africans are more educated about its penalties.
Though some Somalis gathered at the meeting said the leafy substance is not harmful and has been used socially for centuries, others said it has an adverse impact on families.
But at least one member of the Somali community says use of khat already is decreasing among immigrants because it is not popular among the youth. Yusuf Abucar, a Somali immigrant who owns an architectural firm, said “It’s a generational part of culture and it’s going to die on its own.”
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