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Scientific name: Catha Edulis

Active components:

• Cathinone
• Cathine

Some Local names:Miraa, mairungi, gomba, veve and handas

Classification: Stimulant

Delivery mode: young shoots are chewed while still fresh.

Miraa is an evergreen tree which apart from growing wild is also cultivated in the East African Highlands of Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya in Meru specifically.

The young shoots have to be chewed while still fresh. Miraa used to be common within moslem communities who do not take alcohol on religious grounds. However, the use of miraa has of late spread to other communities.

Because of the addiction and other untoward effects of miraa there is a worldwide debate on whether to place miraa under control.

These active principles are related to amphetamines, and cause stimulation, clarity of thought and euphoria. Fatigue is removed and hunger is suppressed and sometimes libido is also suppressed.

Heavy use can result in dependence and physical and mental problems resembling those produced by amphetamines.

Health Consequences

Owing to its rough nature and the way it is consumed, it has been identified with several ailments including;

• Ulceration of the mouth (especially the gums).
• Esophagitis (Inflammation of the gullet)
• Gastritis (Inflammation of the stomach)
• Severe constipation

Because of its stimulative effect in the body mechanism, miraa causes increase in blood pressure, palpitation, body temperature and rate of respiration. All these can lead to impairment of the body metabolism.

Among the female dependents especially expectant mothers, miraa poses added health hazards to their unborn babies (lower average birth weight).

Sexual disorder — spermatorrhoea. This is where in the male miraa dependents release sperm oozes out from the penis which leads to reduced libido and complete loss of sexual potency.

Heavy use of miraa may cause psychological dependence (the user may not feel things are okay until he/she takes the substance). This impairs therefore the users effectiveness in daily activities.

Long term effect of miraa dependence, may cause psychosis (a severe mental illness) in the users.

One other problem is that it turns the teeth green.

Other consequences

• Use of miraa leads to financial losses on the part of the user and his relatives as a lot of funds are used for its purchase. The users hooked into the habit have to sacrifice a lot to sustain the habit.
• Taking miraa brings family problems, has led to neglect of the partner (wife) owing to a lot of money and time spent on miraa chewing sessions. This may lead to family quarrels and even encourage prostitution on the part of the wife because of loneliness and frustration involved in such cases and eventually lead to divorce and or HIV/AIDS infection.
• Use of miraa tends to lead to loss of productivity among the users. The users spend a lot of time checking the substance, consequently they waste some of their time that could be used in doing something productive.
• The withdrawal symptoms are grave as the user begins to scramble for more drugs at the expense of meeting the basic necessities for health and family. The users normally end in suffering from ill health as well as leading a life of poverty and mental depression as members of the family begin to reap the consequences of such indulgence in miraa chemical dependence.

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