Driving under the influence of khat—alkaloid concentrations and observations in forensic cases

Toennes, Stefan W.; Kauert, G.

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2003.11.028

Cited by 52 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…In one study (Khattab and Amer, 1995), perceptual-visual memory and decision speed were found impaired in khat chewing flight attendants; moreover, they scored lower at memory function test than in nonchewing attendants and a negative correlation with both the amount of khat chewed per session and the lasting of the habit was detected. Chewing khat may severely impair driving ability: in a total of 19 cases of suspected driving under khat influence, 10 cases revealed, on a medical examination, an impairment of psychophysical functions, though no correlation with alkaloids blood concentrations was found (Toennes and Kauert, 2004).…”

Section: Psychiatric Adverse Effectsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Khat Chewing from the Pharmacological Point of View: An Update

Graziani¹,

Milella²,

Nencini³

2008

Substance Use & Misuse

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Khat chewing is deeply rooted in the every day life of people living in the Horn of Africa and in South Arabia, where Catha edulis is endemic. Considered little more than an exotic habit producing just mild pharmacological effects, systematic investigations on its active principles have instead lead to the isolation and chemical characterization of cathinone, a compound structurally related to amphetamine. Three decades of intense experimental and clinical research on khat have depicted a consistently clear picture of its pharmacological and toxicological effects.

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Section: Psychiatric Adverse Effectsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Khat Chewing from the Pharmacological Point of View: An Update

Graziani¹,

Milella²,

Nencini³

2008

Substance Use & Misuse

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“…A method for the quantitation of of khat constituents in hair was developed using SPE and GC/MS (692). The concentrations of khat constituents in blood and urine samples from subjects driving under the influence have been reported (693). Ephedra alkaloids were determined in urine and plasma by HPLC-UV (694).…”

Section: Drugs and Poisonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forensic Science

Brettell¹,

Butler

Saferstein³

2005

Anal. Chem.

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“…L'usage du khat semble associé à une altération des trois principales fonctions de la cognition, ce qui peut affecter de nombreuses activités de la vie courante telles que la conduite automobile [32,33], les performances au travail ou le comportement social [34].…”

Section: Effets Sur Le Système Nerveux Centralunclassified

La toxicité du khat impose-t-elle une modification de la réglementation de son usage en Europe?

et al. 2012

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Résumé -Objectif : La consommation de khat (Catha edulis Forsk) est une pratique largement répandue dans les populations de l'est de l'Afrique. En Europe, elle concerne les migrants de première génération et leurs descendants. Le khat ne fait pas l'objet de contrôle au titre des conventions de l'ONU, lesquelles s'appuient sur une recommandation de l'OMS. Cependant, les États demeurent libres de réglementer le khat dans le cadre de leur législation nationale ; c'est le cas de la France et de certains pays européens. Cette discordance entre les réglementations interroge sur la dangerosité réelle ou supposée de cette plante. Méthodes : Nous avons utilisé le moteur de recherche bibliographique PubMed pour identifier les publications pertinentes relatives à sa toxicité. Résultats : L'usage chronique de khat est associé à des altérations de la régulation de la pression artérielle, et à une augmentation du risque d'infarctus du myocarde. Comme le cannabis, le khat peut être impliqué dans la survenue de troubles psychotiques. Le risque addictif n'est pas exclu. Chez l'animal, plusieurs études suggèrent que l'usage de khat favorise l'agressivité. Le caractère cancérogène n'est pas établi même si la génotoxicité est suspectée in vivo. Conclusion : Le risque de complications cardio-vasculaires et psychiatriques de l'usage régulier de khat, son caractère potentiellement cancérogène et la parenté chimique de la cathinone avec l'amphétamine sont autant d'arguments pour justifier l'inscription du khat sur la liste des stupéfiants réglementés. Mots clés : Khat, stupéfiant, réglementationAbstract -Objectives: Khat (Catha edulis Forsk) consumption is a widespread practice in populations of Eastern Africa. In Europe, it concerns the first-generation migrants and their descendants. Khat is not subject to control under UN conventions, which are based on a WHO recommendation. However, states remain free to regulate khat within the framework of their national legislation, such as in France and some European countries. This discordance among regulations questions the real or supposed dangerousness of this plant. Methods: We used the search engine of the bibliographic database PubMed, in order to identify the relevant publications on khat's toxicity. Results: Chronic use of khat is associated with deteriorations in the regulation of blood pressure, and an increased risk of myocardial infarction. Like cannabis, khat can be involved in the onset of psychotic disorders. The risk of addiction is not excluded. In animals, several studies suggest that khat use encourages aggressiveness. The carcinogenic nature has not been established, although genotoxicity is suspected in vivo. Conclusions: The risk of cardiovascular and psychiatric complications due to frequent use of khat, its potentially carcinogenic nature, and the chemical relationship of cathinone with amphetamine justify the inscription of khat in the list of controlled narcotics.

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Driving under the influence of khat—alkaloid concentrations and observations in forensic cases

Cited by 52 publications

References 19 publications

Khat Chewing from the Pharmacological Point of View: An Update

Khat Chewing from the Pharmacological Point of View: An Update

Forensic Science

La toxicité du khat impose-t-elle une modification de la réglementation de son usage en Europe?

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