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Is Yemen a nation on drugs? (2013)

Published 26 August 2016 in Blog

Is Yemen a nation on drugs? Every afternoon the whole country slows down as people young and old chew khat leaves for a legal high. Meanwhile, farms have stopped growing food and water is running out.

State of Intoxication (2013) was made by SBS Australia and is distributed by Journeyman Pictures.

A country consumed by khat

On the outskirts of Sana'a, a young boy, no more than 5 or 6, sits on a low wall. "Do you chew khat?" He smiles a wide, empty smile: "Yes, every day."

He is just one small example of a country completely consumed by the drug. Its social impact is already huge. The film lists "difficulty in sleep, irritability, up to severe psychosis", and some cases of schizophrenia among people who chew khat.

Food and water at risk

Just as worrying is the impact on the country's resources. It is becoming dangerous as farmers give up growing food in favour of khat.

According to some estimates, the share of locally grown food has dropped from 95% to just 8% in recent decades. At the same time, the water table used to irrigate the growing plants has fallen sharply.

The group Khat Free Nation is taking a stand against the drug. But in a country so hooked, even its members wonder whether anyone can turn these concerns into action. As one voice in the film puts it: "It's over, brother, the whole population chews. Who doesn't chew?"

Related films

Why Yemen won't ban child marriage and rape

The shocking truth about Yemen's death row kids

Yemen is a starving nation (2010)

Source: YouTube