Doctors link impotence to chewing khat
Income. A mairungi farmer inspects his farm in Kibibi Town, Butambala District, recently. Many farmers say it is their source of livelihood. PHOTO BY SADAT MBOGO
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Addressing Parliament’s Committee of Defence and Internal Affairs, which is currently processing the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control), Bill, 2023, yesterday, Dr Nakku said khat has profound negative effects on one’s health including on the reproductive systems of both men and women
The Executive Director of Butabika National Referral Hospital, Dr Juliet Nakku, has urged legislators to prohibit the use of Khat, also known as mairungi.
Addressing Parliament’s Committee of Defence and Internal Affairs, which is currently processing the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control), Bill, 2023, yesterday, Dr Nakku said khat has profound negative effects on one’s health including on the reproductive systems of both men and women.
“It might cause low sperm count, might cause impotence, might cause libido changes and retention of urine. Those are researched facts. It is not hear-say,” Dr Nakku said about male consumers.
For the women, she said: “It causes low birth weight, stillbirth, and impaired lactation which ultimately affects the fetus. The outcomes in the pregnancy may not be very good.”
Other side effects of the drug include dependence, dental problems since the substance is chewed as well as withdrawal symptoms which can spiral into body weakness and nightmares.
She refuted reports that khat could have medicinal value.
Khat
“I know there are claims but I have not seen where this has been proved, scientifically,” she said.
On Tuesday, the State minister for Health in-charge of General Duties, Ms Anifa Kawooya, proposed that khat should not be prohibited partly because it is medicinal and its regulation should be done by the Internal Affairs ministry.
The Internal Affairs minister, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, last week said khat is not that dangerous to warrant its prohibition.
On cannabis, also known as marijuana, Dr Nakku said: “It is documented that cannabis has some limited medicinal purposes particularly if it is used as a pain reliever, especially in patients with chronic terminal diseases like cancer.”
Dr Nakku said its consumption causes irritable moods, depression, loss of self-drive, especially in young people, and depression which in some cases leads to users committing suicide.
She urged the committee to recommend that the use of khat should strongly be discouraged and prohibited by law.
She, however, said marijuana “should be given a chance [for use] in a limited way especially for cancer patients”.
She added: “Otherwise its recreational and non-medical use should also be strongly discouraged, especially among the youth.”
The chairperson of the Defence Committee, Mr Wilson Kajwengye (Nyabushozi county), said since the Bill has a direct bearing on people’s lives, livelihood, economy, well-being and health, legislators would also strongly work towards coming up with a law intended to protect mostly children and youth against the use of the substances.
