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Drug
Information: K
Ketamine | Khat
Ketamine
Street
terms for Ketamine: jet, super acid, Special "K", green,
K, cat Valium1
What does Ketamine
look like?
- Ketamine comes
in a clear liquid and a white or off-white powder form.
How is Ketamine
used?
- Ketamine is a
tranquilizer most commonly used on animals.
- The liquid form
can be injected, consumed in drinks, or added to smokable materials.
- The powder form
can be used for injection when dissolved.2
- In certain areas,
Ketamine is being injected intramuscularly.3
Who uses Ketamine?
- Ketamine,
along with the other "club drugs," has become popular among teens
and young adults at dance clubs and "raves."
How does Ketamine
get into the United States?
- Marketed as a
dissociative general anesthetic for human and veterinary use, the
only known source of Ketamine is via diversion of pharmaceutical
products.
- Recent press
reports indicate that a significant number of veterinary clinics
are being robbed specifically for their Ketamine stock.
- DEA reporting
indicates that a major source of Ketamine in the United States is
product diverted from pharmacies in Mexico.4
How much does Ketamine
cost?
- Prices average
$20 to $25 per dosage unit.5
What are some consequences
of Ketamine use?
- Higher doses
produce an effect referred to as "K-Hole," an "out
of body," or "near-death" experience.6
- Use of the drug
can cause delirium, amnesia, depression, and long-term memory and
cognitive difficulties. Due to its dissociative effect, it is reportedly
used as a date-rape drug.7
1Office
of National Drug Control Policy, Street Terms: Drugs and the
Drug Trade.
2Drug Enforcement Administration, Club
Drugs: An Update, September 2001.
3National Institute on Drug Abuse, Community
Drug Alert Bulletin: Club Drugs, December 1999.
4Drug Enforcement Administration, Club
Drugs: An Update, September 2001.
5Ibid.
6Ibid.
7Ibid.
Khat
Street terms for
Khat: (pronounced Cot) Abyssinian tea, African salad, oat, kat, chat,
and catha.i Also referred to as qat in
Yemen, tschat in Ethiopia, and miraa in Kenya ii
What does Khat look
like? iii
- Khat is a flowering
evergreen shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
- Khat that is
sold and abused is usually just the leaves, twigs, and shoots of
the Khat shrub.
How is Khat
used?iv
- Khat
is typically chewed like tobacco.
- The
fresh leaves, twigs, and shoots of the Khat shrub are chewed,
and then retained in the cheek and chewed intermittently
to release the active drug.
- Dried
plant material can be made into tea or a chewable paste.
- Khat
can also be smoked and even sprinkled on food.
What
are some consequences of Khat use? v
- Common
side effects include anorexia, tahycardia,
hypertension, insomnia, and gastric disorders.
- Chronic
Khat abuse can result in symptoms such as
physical exhaustion, violence, and suicidal
depression.
- Widespread
frequent use of Khat impacts productivity
because it tends to reduce worker motivation.
- Khat
can induce manic behaviors, hyperactivity,
and hallucinations.vi
- There
are reports of Khat-induced psychosis.vii
Who
uses Khat? viii
- The
use of Khat
is an established
cultural
tradition
for many
social situations
in the areas
of primary
cultivation:
East Africa
and the Arabian
Peninsula.
- Several
million people
may currently
be using
Khat worldwide.
- The
largest concentrations
of users
are in the
regions surrounding
the Middle
East.
How
does
Khat
get to
the United
States?ix
- Khat,
while
illegal
in
the
United
States,
is
legal
in
much
of
Europe,
East
Africa,
and
the
Arabian
Peninsula.
- Individuals
of
East
African
and
Middle
Eastern
descent
are
mot
often
responsible
for
the
importation,
distribution,
possession,
and
use
of
Khat
in
the
United
States.
- Khat
is
usually
shipped
already
packaged
in
bundles,
and
wrapped
in
plastic
bags
or
banana
leaves
to
retain
moisture
and
freshness.
- Khat
is
generally
smuggled
in
passenger
luggage,
overnight
express
mail,
or
shipped
as
air
cargo
and
falsely
labeled
as "vegetables."
How
much
does
Khat
cost?
- Exactly
prices
are
not
known,
but
Khat
is
a
relatively
costly
drug.x
i "Khat," DEA
Intelligence Brief,
DEA Intelligence
Division, June
2002
ii "Drugs and Chemicals of Concern: Khat," DEA
Diversion Control Program
iii "Drugs and Chemicals of Concern: Khat," DEA
Diversion Control Program
iv "Khat," DEA Intelligence Brief, DEA
Intelligence Division, June 2002
v "Khat," DEA Intelligence Brief, DEA
Intelligence Division, June 2002
vi "Drugs and Chemicals of Concern: Khat," DEA
Diversion Control Program
vii "Drugs and Chemicals of Concern: Khat," DEA
Diversion Control Program
viii "Khat," DEA Intelligence Brief,
DEA Intelligence Division, June 2002
ix "Khat," DEA Intelligence Brief, DEA
Intelligence Division, June 2002
x "Khat," DEA Intelligence Brief, DEA
Intelligence Division, June 2002
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