Methods were designed to evaluate the handling practice and the effect of pesticides on environment and human health. The data were collected by participating mainly Khat growing farmers and further supported by interviewing health and agricultural professionals, field observation and focal group discussion with Khat chewers. 97.1 % of farmers used pesticides for pest control. The survey revealed that, 95.2% confirmed that they using DDT. The pesticide treated khat is harvested and consumed starting from the same day of treatment. Farmers were not taken measures while spraying whether children and other people are in the field or not. Majority of farmers i.e. 84.1% have no experience of taking bath, 42.85 % of farmers do not change clothes right after spraying; and 86.93% do not wash the contaminated clothe separately. Majority of farmers doesn't have knowledge about labelling, dosage and expiry date mentioned on pesticide container. Farmers used protective devices rarely, except 73.3% who used scarf to protect the uncomfortable smell of pesticides. Farmers store their pesticides where they sleep, where they eat, prepare their food, where the cattle feed, hut in the field. Majority of farmers experienced headache, dizziness, difficult to breathe and vomiting, itching or burning of different parts of body as the main symptom filling during application of pesticides. Liver case, kidney and stomach are the most common healthy problem realized; and significant number of farmers and health professionals are confident enough that, chewing of pesticides treated khat and unsafe use khat are the case. The care of for the environment is very low in that spray pesticides near water bodies like well water and ponds, disposing the leftover and empty pesticide containers in the field. Number of pollinating insects like, butterfly, and bee are decreasing. The care of livestock not to eat residue of Khat treated by pesticides and graze near treated was small.

The awareness level of the farmers growing Khat regarding the safe use of pesticide was investigated in this study at Haromaya Wereda, Eastern Ethiopia. In order to achieve the proposed objectives, structured questionnaires, oral discussions, and field observations were organized with the farmers growing Khat on the safe use of pesticide. After the study sites were selected purposively, systematic random sampling of the target population was applied. The study result revealed that the farmers lack training on pesticide practices, and most of them use their own experience and consult their neighbours. The findings of the study further indicated that majority of the farmers do not believe that pesticides can be detected in the soil, fruit and leaves of tree, air, ground water and food. Nearly half of the farmers were aware of the harmful effects of using pesticide on insects and birds. The farmers have poor understanding of the effect of long term exposure to pesticides compared to short term exposure. The farmers' understanding of exposure to pesticides through respiratory system and mouth is relatively satisfactory compared to the dermal exposure. Over one third of the farmers had no knowledge of how to store pesticides in the right conditions. However, greater percentage strongly believes that pesticides should be kept out of the reach of children. Even though, majority of the respondents indicated that DDT was used on Khat, only few of them have knowledge of its illegal importation. The outcomes of the study confirmed the need of training on the safe use of pesticides to raise the awareness of the farmers and safeguard the health of the farmers and the environment.