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Herbal stimulant khat to be banned Herbal stimulant khat to be banned
(35 minutes later)
The herbal stimulant drug khat is to be banned, the BBC understands.The herbal stimulant drug khat is to be banned, the BBC understands.
The decision goes against the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), the government's official advisory body.The decision goes against the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), the government's official advisory body.
In January the ACMD said khat should remain a legal substance, saying there was "insufficient evidence" it caused health problems.In January the ACMD said khat should remain a legal substance, saying there was "insufficient evidence" it caused health problems.
But Home Secretary Theresa May has decided to ban it, BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said.But Home Secretary Theresa May has decided to ban it, BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said.
An official statement is expected shortly.An official statement is expected shortly.
'Mild stimulant'
Mrs May's decision is thought to be based on wider security and international considerations, in particular the use of the UK as a transit route for khat to other European countries, our correspondent said.Mrs May's decision is thought to be based on wider security and international considerations, in particular the use of the UK as a transit route for khat to other European countries, our correspondent said.
Khat is traditionally used by members of the Somali, Yemeni and Ethiopian communities.Khat is traditionally used by members of the Somali, Yemeni and Ethiopian communities.
It is already illegal in most European countries, as well as the US and Canada.It is already illegal in most European countries, as well as the US and Canada.
The Home Office commissioned a review by the ACMD and, reporting its results in January, it said chewing khat produced a "mild stimulant effect much less potent than stimulant drugs, such as amphetamine".
The ACMD found "no evidence" khat, made from leaves and shoots of a shrub cultivated in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and contains the stimulant cathinone, was directly linked with serious or organised crime.
Somali groups in the UK had told the ACMD that use of khat was a "significant social problem" and said it caused medical issues and family breakdowns.
The ACMD said withdrawal symptoms such as tiredness and depression were associated with khat, and recommended that the NHS should educate the public about these where necessary.