Just a couple of decades ago Khat (ጫት) consumption was limited to a small area of Ethiopia, mainly eastern and south eastern of the country. Today, Khat use is {www:pervasive} in all parts of Ethiopia, except the Tigray region where it is outlawed.
As a result, currently a growing number of Ethiopian youth are addicted to khat, causing most of them to be less productive citizens who walk around like zombies.
The ruling party doesn’t want to control khat — although it knows about its debilitating effect on the society — because many of its officials are deeply involved in the khat trade
It is estimated that the khat market in Ethiopia alone generates well over one hundred million dollars per year.
Attracted to the fast money from trafficking in Khat, the Meles regime officials are upgrading to heroine, a dangerous drug that fries the brain. These days, in Addis Ababa and other major cities in Ethiopia, heroin use is becoming rampant, destroying the lives of a significant number of young Ethiopians.
According to Ethiopian Review sources, most of the heroine is entering the country via Ethiopian Airline flights from Asia. The traffickers include airline hostesses and airport officials who are affiliated with the ruling party who easily bypass security checks.
The heroine market in Ethiopia has become so lucrative that as a business strategy, Ethiopian aviation officials, and Ethiopian Airlines itself, are giving blind eye to heroin traffic, turning Ethiopia into a major narcotics transit route between Middle Eastern, Asian, and West African heroin markets.
The amount of drugs transiting via Ethiopia is increasing., according to OSAC. “Heroin transits Ethiopia for markets in West Africa, Europe, and the United States, primarily due to Ethiopia’s good airline connections between those markets and Asia. Nigerian and Ghanaian traffickers use Ethiopia as a transit point on a limited but increasing basis.”
36 thoughts on “Heroin addiction reaching epidemic levels in Ethiopia”
“Khat is outlawed in Tigray” is an outright lie. I was in Tigray a couple of months ago I was stunned by the number of young people who are addicted to the plant. In the past, it was a a cultural and religious taboo. Nowadays, you find khat in Mekele as in Nazreth. Yours is not journalism, it is political tabloid in its worst form.
washeraw replies:
April 8th, 2012 at 2:48 AM
It is not a lie. The Council of Tgrai outlawed khat in the late 90s. But it couldn’t enforce the ban. Actually, the Council of Buggna Woreda (Lalibela) in Amhara Region tried to copy this legislation but faced the same failure.
What do we expect from a country does not have the real father to take care of her. An orphan kid exposes to various habits and diseases to his demise permanently. Everyone in the high positions are working to profit for their own families and relative and menders not for the whole country short and long terms. The Arabs fought us for centuries to make us beggars, now they came to convert us to their religion a Islam nation by building Mosque almost every corner of the big cities around the country. Chewing chat is the breakfast of Ethiopian youths now days unlike the good old time, no one knew Chat in Tigray, Gonder, Wollo, Gojjam, now it became the fashion of the day. We have so many Atse Tewedros Ras Teferians look like the liberate Eritrea for good handed us our natural ports. The Government is introducing kids the worst of all culture in America, the big cities ghetto kids break dance and other bad manner dressing and may be they will paint Griffith next time to the new buildings in Addis Ababa to compete with New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia kids instead of competing the kids in South Korea, China, Singapore, India and etc.
Khat has been a lightening rod issue for decades now particularly in Yemen, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia. I remember when I was growing up that one day the scheduled Khat freight did not arrive as scheduled. It almost triggered a riot in a very small town. The truck broke down at its source. When I left home more than 4 decades ago, it was only consumed in very small part of the country such areas as Hararghe and Jimma. In Addis Ababa (Finfine) it was consumed by small number of the population confined to the Mercato area. It is amazing how it has infectiously spread out in all areas since then. But I don’t buy this conviction that it is addictive. Not at all. Heroine is a totally different bowl game. Now, it is going to bring levels of crime which are awfully heinous in nature we never heard of back there. Khat will remain to be a delicate issue for any type of government be it despotic or democratic. It may take years even decades before the consuming population is successfully and persuasively weaned out from this slackening drug. It has to be adequately fed first. Those of you who have the opportunity to travel or live in Asian countries such as Taiwan you will find another shrub that is chewed to get the high as Khat. But with unabated education about the adverse effect of chewing the shrub, the consuming population has dramatically declined. Khat has been proven to have far reaching health ramifications such as elevation in blood pressure, cancer of the mouth and digestive system. Remember that as in conditions existing toady, a large portion of the population as a subtle economic excuse for its use of Khat on a daily basis. It is also used to curb hunger and obtain the needed energy for work on empty stomach. But this introduction and widespread use heroine thing is an extremely worrying issue. It addicts people just with the first use and extremely difficult to shrug it off. That is why countries such as Singapore has a death penalty sentence to anyone caught selling or possessing this type of highly addictive drugs. And it has worked for them effectively.
Dear Eritrean or as u claim Ehtipian, but infact Egyptian Elias,
We didnt even finish celebrating Birtukan’s releas, but you start lying and writing bulsheet stuff when u can make a good case to organize oppositions in exposing the Meles rigme. After all, if u were a true Ethiopian or even Eritrean u wouldnt play with your website writing childish stuff that doesnt hurt woynnie or make opposition strong. Im not Tigrean but Tigreans are Ethipians and dont single out them….that is an opposition u want to run. Single out the government and give genuine critism if u have the gut….
DO NOT WRITE BULSHEET STUFF.
Yared:
Khat is outlawed in Tigray. That you may find Khat in Mekle does not prove its legality in Tigray.
It just means — “the chicken are comming home to roost.”
Trust me, all the social ills you have been cultivating in the rest of Ethiopia will eventually come home. That is how evil falls.
Netsanet…well said.
this a plan to turn non-tigrayanns into an addict. the people of Ethiopia need to wake up and say no to drug pusher weyanes.
Well, this is all what I can say: “Ye-mitilebisew yelat, ye-mitikenanebew amarat”
People suffering from Khat addiction are often unable to see clearly because the drug has started to control them. This guy called Netsanet Betigil is a case in point!
Whether we like it or not, accept it or deny it, the country is run by federal system. If a state wishes to outlaw khat, let them. Maybe other states should follow Tigray and outlaw it….
Netsanet #4,
There is nothing to celebrate about her because she was simply transferred from a small prison to a bigger prison.
We will hear many false and bulsheet things from Elias as far as we are alive in this world. I agree with Netsanet’s idea,well Said but I am shameful on Ato Elias, I couldn’t understand his politics policy. Any ways every Ethiopian should give a deaf ear to politicians like Ato Elias, all his words are out of truth!!!
Before Zinawian robbers came into Ethipia,there was hardly any Ethiopians addicted to drugs,there was not any drug traficking nor there was drug related crime,and there was no epedemic of drugs.
Our children are perishing alive to poisons that Zinawian robbers are feeding them to.Ethiopians,this how you measure how much our youths are completely wasted by what the enemy did cost us.
Ethiopians,the enemy,it is what it is,of course.We shall make our common enemy,Zinawians robbers pay the ultimate price too dearly.
TO HALAFI MEGEDI. WHY ALWAYES TRYING TO CREAT A PROBLEM AND TO CHANGE THINGS FROM THE REALE TOPIC? YOU KNOW WHY? YOU ARE ONE FROM TIGRAY AND WORK FOR WEYNE AND TRY TO DO HATE AMONG ETHIOPIAN AND ERITREAN. BUT AS I KNOW AND PPL OF ETHIOPIAN KNOW YOU HAVE 9 H THAT CHANGES FROM MINIT TO MINIT. LIKE ESEST. BUT I NEED TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH WE ERITREAN LOVE ETHIOPIAN PPL FOREVER AND WILL ENJOY WITH THEM LOVE AND RECPECT. ONE DAY YOUR MASTER WILL OUT OF HIS PLACE AND YOU WILL BE HIDE UNDER THE BED. YOU KNOW HALFI MENGEDI WHAT TIGRAY PRODUCE ONE LIERS LIKE MELES WYANE AND CRIMINAL RULERS NOTHING ELSE. GOD BLESS ELIAS AND ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA FOREVER.
SAD BUT ITS TRUE!!! Most Ethiopians not aware of harmful effects of Khat.
Now a days Khat control not only non-tigrayanns in Ethiopia.This drug control the mind of dispora Ethiopians all over the world.
We need an awareness campaign like this explaining Ppl the effects of this drugs.
Khat is NOT outlawed in Tigray. Its usage is widespread and it is totally accepted by authorities as well as population. What’s up with the need to b*llshit?
The current rulers of Ethiopia, from small region of Tigray, never hesitate to destroy the fabric of our society. In fact they are hell-bent on doing exactly that. A “government” that outlaws chat consumption in his backyard(Tigray) is very keen to promote the consumption in other regions. Addicts are very easy to govern or control. This is the motto of our current mercenary Tigrayan rulers!
Halafi Mengedi,
Sometimes you nail it is right on its head and other times you are off by a mile. This is one of those time I agree with you totally. I didn’t know about heroin use in Ethiopia, but I don’t expect less from TPLF. I also heard that not only chat, but alcohol and cigarettes are being sold very cheap around schools and colleges in Gondar, Gojam and Wollo, intentionally to destroy the smart, driven, determined, hard working students that are giving it all to make something out of their lives. The question is, what are we going to do about it?
washeraw replies:
April 8th, 2012 at 3:47 AM
Please,
Get off this track. Khat is as widely consumed in Tgrai as anywhere else in the country. Their attaempt at outlawing it didn’t succeed.
If you didn’t hear it before: many people believe that PM Melles is a great lover of khat. So, no conspiracy theories realted to this, please!
One big issue is corruption related to khat export. As was the case with the Mengistu Regime, our current leaders are deep in it. The money is tempting even to “nice” people, leave alone this corrupt mafia.
Heroin is really worrying. I have read somewhere that the Ambassador Theatre area has becopme a hotbed of drug dealers. Previously, they were only pushing cannabis (hashish), but now they seemed to have ventured in to heroin and other hard drugs. Something needs to be done.
Tekle:
You are a moron and blinded by bigotry to say that “the social ills you have been cultivating…” First of all do you know me? How do you know that I have cultivated such social ills? If you are refering to the Tigray people, assuming that I am a Tigrean,your mind is sick with Tigray phobia and you need a treatment. The truth is the distribution and sale of chat was never outlawed in Ethiopia under any adminstration. Under the current market system in Ethiopia, chat is produced and marketed by private merchants and not by the Tigray people. The increase in the use of chat that we notice today is, among other things, due to popualtion growth which has almost doubled after the fall of the Derg, increased mobility by young people to different regions by the tens of thousands to join different colleges and universities (university students use chat to study), increased remittances from diaspora Ethiopians to their relatives back home which enables young Ethiopians to afford the frequent purchase of chat. Given the increase in the use of chat and its negative consequences, should the government device policy to discourage the use of chat? Yes, it should. Trying to blame an entire ethnic group for the social problems that Ethiopia faces today is opinionic genocide. Peace to all Ethiopians!
yes Elias an excellent topic. The only thing is that Khat is outlawed in Tigray but they could not control it and the place is infested with Khat chewing and Shisha smoking places every corner.
Keep it up
“Netsanet Betigil”
Exactly you are right that he, Elias godlias is from Egypt. They should be very well aware that if the could not singleout the people from party an inch in progress to dimise the MAFIAS in hardly possible.
As I go reading some of the comments few become defensive at the mention of the phrase “chat is outlawed in Tigray” .I had a chance to visit home about two years ago, I traveled through some of the cities in Gondar and Gojam, and saw the sordid condition of our youth.The peasants in Gondar and Gojam are allocating their small plots of land to grow chat.The unemployed youth in Bahirdar, Gondar and the smaller towns , consume and make their living by selling chat. One of the most disturbing scens in Bahirdar large size unemployed females make their living by selling chat in small booths.If any one have problem accepting this you can check it for your self, just go and visit all kebeles, in particular this 4,5,6,7,8,10,11,12.
I Put this question to some residents. why the so called Amhara killi president can’t do any thing about this case,I was told something that have to do with the federal government.Evidently,the people that I raised this question were highely educated,well informed and none partisan. Their only concern seems to be They believe it need to be outlawed. According to them the federal government does not want it to be outlawed and the kilil leaders for fear of lose of their job they go along with it. In addition,There is other problem surrounding traffic and transportation in this killil ranging from overloading,speeding and frequent accident.I was told the federal government want the so called “Amhara kilil”to regress back ward and as such it has its hands full on the affairs of the killil. What is more,I was told,at the end of the year each killil returns surplus budget-and return they must return. According to my sources, after all the killil’s surplus is returned to the fed. gov. then, the fed. gov. will send this surplus to tigray.
Finally, those who are doubtful about this issue please go home see for yourself.Talk to the people and learn from them.We must tell the truth at all times, we need not to blemish or exagurate some thing which is not there.
Elias is right that chat is not legal in Tigray. Let us differentiate between the people of Tigray and the elite — no one has implicated the people in this issue, yet there are always those who cry foul at every report about abuse of power and misrule.
bahir dar khat
Anonymous,the above is the link for a book about khat in Bahirdar you can read this book on line.
Tekele wher is the evidence for your blabla?I have my owen hypothesis and I think it is the most plausible one.Prior to Legese led weyane arrived in Addis bare foot,the usage of Khat was limited as the article stated in the Est,and South East of Ethiopia.
It is oppen secret that most of the Weyane high ranking officials, among other things, are khat addicts.Not only they consume high grade khat,and must have their dailly fix to function.This disease,of chemical dependcey a current phenomena planned by those who care about power to subject general public in dependency.If you dispute this just read the reasrech link above.You canthe book on line.
When once asked the C/m at the parliament to outlaw the usage of khat,I am told,the c/m replayed give me an incedence where khat user has been found in criminal activity as a result of this stimulant?Please dont jump on this forum to defend bandido legese.
The disgeraced melese may be preoccupied about his life here and now,I tell you the judgment of GOD will be severe on those who prey on the defenceless.
It is a shame that heroin is introduced in Ethiopia. It is a killer. I do not mind about chat it is been used for long time and not even close with heroin. Anyway, the government should do something about it. It is not fun. That is sad. This issue must be addressed separetely from politics to the government and the public and must be banned . We desporas know very well about this evil drug than anyody else.This drug will destroy everyone and alter brain. We should be together on this regardless of our politica views.Do not mix it.
Netsanet has siad all that needs to be said. ER’s targets for now are Ethiopian airlines,the respected crew members and airport officials. Who knows who is next.Dear fellow Ethiopians be careful what you write on this website. Remember he is not one of us.
how could someone talk about anybody with out evidence? b/c the air hostess are not in
the position to import the heroin to mother land. but there was an incident
which takes place in Heathrow airport.
it wasn’t the hostess fault to carry the
stuff rather someone gave her as it is
“berbere” and “shiro”. please make sure that before you publish on the web try to have the evidence.
It’s weird Yared accusing Tekle of Bigotry against Tigray…… it’s an accusation out of place. His accusation of bigotry should be levelled at the chameleon, HalafiMengedi. I see the poor people of Tigray as victims as their fellow Ethiopians as opposed to the bloody blood suckers amongst them. The poor Tigrayans are also used as hostages by the weyane. Yared should have accused Halafi-Mengedi for Bigotry for his devilish attempt to pit Muslims against christians. Halafi Mengedi must have borrowed from the immoal tea party tactic of the mad man Glenn Beck. In US, the native Indians first, then the black, Jews & the Catholics & now the muslims. Halafi Mengedi like Glenn Beck tried to channel the anger of the public into the easier escape-goat of our time, the Muslims. If there is any time to stand side by side with our Muslim brothers, now is the time. Ethiopia & Eritrea are home of both Christians & Muslims. We’ve had no problem and lived together for generation. “Haymanot yegil Agee yegara” What the hell has Halafi-Menhedi been smoking……. Heroine? Of course, His Atse Yohannes had a history of discriminating and hunting the Tigray Muslims, the Jeberti, who fled & settled to Eritrea. They were not allowed to build a mosque in tigray and buried miles away from the city centre. Ethiopia lost such a wonderful people as the Jeberti who are now Eritreans. The Jebertis are hard working, creative and industrious people.
Nobody in this day and age can be fooled by the Halafi Mengedi dangling his cheap bait, hoping someone would rise up to bite.
These guys are making a fool of themselves with your rediculous & tired games. Come up with another plan.
Nesanet and Tesfaye,
Do woyanne loyalists care about Ethiopia and her future save craving for your belly?Do you really care where the country is headed under the leadership of public arch enemy meles? I realized the above fail to open,I doubt if you check the this,because you care not about Ethiopia and the well being of her citizens. Any one who cares just google this and see for your self. “Bahirdar khact”open the first link and you will be able to read a book on line. Follow the links and you will read research papers. I recommend the book first.
አቤቱ የአምላክ ቸርነቱ አያልቅም ምሕረቱ:
ከማታ እስከ ጠዋት ሲነጋ ሌሊቱ:
ፀሐይ ወጣ ከጥንት ከጠዋቱ:
ፍቅር የለህ ከሰባቱ ከፍጥረቱ:
መሬት ረከሰች በሲጃራ በቡና በጫቱ:
አቤት አቤት የሲጃራ የጫት የቡና ግማቱ:
በቡናው አተላ እባብና ዘንዶው ተማቱ ሊሞቱ:
የጫት የሲጃራ የቡናው ዘይቱ:
ተረግሟል በአባቶች ከጥንት ከጠዋቱ:
የቡና ይጫት የሲጃራ ነጋዼይቱ:
ወግጅልን ከፊቴ ሂጂ ወደሳቱ:
የሲጃራ የቡና የጫት እመቤቱ:
ግሃናም እሳት ነው የዘላለም ቤቱ:
ተው ተመለስ አንተ ከንቱ:
ከጫት ከሲጃራ ከቡና ቤቱ:
ሱሰኛ አትሁን ገና ልጠዋቱ:
የጨሌ የቆሌ የዘንዶ ነው ቤቱ:
በጠንቋይ በቃልቻ እንዳትሳሳቱ:
ቡናው ካልጨሰ አይመጣም ቅሌቱ:
ቡናው ካልጨሰ አይመጣም ቅሌቱ:
በዶሮ በበጉ ሲጠራ መተቱ:
ሰይጣን ከተፍ አለ ከመከራ ቤቱ:
ከሲጃራ ከጫት ከቡና መስዋህቱ:
ወገኑን ያስታል በመስገጃ ቤቱ:
በቁራኑ ሳይቀር የተወገዘ ነው ሲጃራና ጫቱ:
አቤቱ ማስፈራቱ የመከራ ቤቱ:
እባካችሁ ሰዎች አትሳቱ እንዳትመቱ:
ቡና ጫት ሲጃራ አይመጣም ከቤቱ:
ንሰሐ ገብታችሁ ተደሰቱ እንዲደመሰስ ኃጥያቱ:
በቡና አተላ አትማቱ በደብተራ መተቱ:
የዲያቢሎስ ማምታታቱ ይበቃል ማሳቱ:
ቡናው ደሜ ጫቱ ስጋዬ ነው አል በጠዋቱ:
የአሕዛብ ነው ምስዋህቱ ከጥንቱ:
በስጋወ ደሙ ተደሰቱ የሕይወት እንጀራ እርሱ ነው መስዋህቱ:
አምላክ እርሱ ነው ከመሰረቱ እንዳትሳሳቱ:
ለዚህ ሁሉ መሰረቱ መጽሐፍ ቅዱስ ነው ውጤቱ:: –ልሳነ ኢትዮጵያ
Heroin
We should not even start to compare Khat with Heroine. The withdrawal(pain) people go through when they donot get heroine is 100 times harder than what the khat addicts go through when they donot chew khat.They will do anything and everything not to face the sickness i.e. the vomiting and the pain that comes from not geting their heroine fix.People that used to do heroine previously use methodone which is another drug to help them ease the craving and the physical sickness they experience .Either way they have to get heroine or methodone every day for years and years ones introduced to heroine which I doubt this young people unless sponsoreed by Meles & Co. will not be able to afford.Basically Heroine means from here onwards you are above the dead and below the rest.
sad story.
weyane policy is destroy the fabric society of ethiopia & eritrea. shame on them. shame on mother ethiopia tp produce son’s like this. believe me, we will destroy you before you destroy the fabric of our society.
Yared,
Sometimes it is better to keep quiet rather than argueing with a lie saying khat is legal in Tigray.
We all know khat has been illegal in Tigray since Meles got to power so go ahead and find a new born baby to fool because nobodyelse will be fooled by you .
The fact that khat has been illegal for Tigray and nowhereelse is another addition of proof to the Tigray People’s liberation Front’s long standing desire to create an independent country of Tigray.
The new generation that had been born in the last twenty years in Tigray had been raised in a law that governs them as a firsxt class citizen while the ones that are Non-Tigray have been systematically treated and subjected to the worst situations in all way possible.It is time to get rid of the parasites before the parasite finishes it’s job of genocide.