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Stevenson, M., Fitzgerald, J., & Banwell, C. (1996). Chewing as a so- cial act: Cultural displacement and khat consumption in the East Af- rican communities of Melbourne. Drug and Alcohol Review, 15, 73- 82. doi:10.1080/09595239600185691

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Khat: Is It More Like Coffee or Cocaine? Criminalizing a Commodity, Targeting a Community

  AUTHORS: Ezekiel Gebissa

  KEYWORDS: Cathinone; Drugs; Terrorism; Immigration; Traditional Use; Law Enforcement

  JOURNAL NAME: Sociology Mind, Vol.2 No.2, April 17, 2012

  ABSTRACT: This article looks at the expansion of khat chewing from the Horn of Africa to Western countries. It assesses the reaction of various sections of US society toward a practice they perceived as a dangerous new “drug” and a possible source of funding for terrorist groups by documenting the effect on Oromo immigrants of a nationwide crackdown by law enforcement. For the new immigrants, chewing khat provides a setting that connects them to the homeland and eases the vicissitudes of integration into the host culture, but the practice is illegal. It also shows how the media and political interest groups have shaped public perception of chewing khat in a negative light and precipitated the promulgation of hasty policies that have made Oromo immigrants targets of law enforcement. The article urges users to exercise discretion in a political environment that is not ready to restore fairness and rationality to policymaking.