Al Jazeera English - Witness: Qat Barons of Sheffield
In the northern English city of Sheffield, a community of Yemeni migrants is just one of many different ethnic groups to have settled in contemporary multicultural Britain. Assimilated to varying degrees, many men of the community have retained one custom from East Africa – the taking of Qat, a leafy plant which produces feelings of euphoria when chewed. The active ingredient of Qat is cathinone, a natural amphetamine, classified as a Schedule 1 drug in the USA (on a par with heroin), but still legal in the UK. The film meets and talks to users in Sheffield, who argue that as a social lubricant Qat is far safer than indulging in alcohol.
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About Al Jazeera - Witness
Rageh Omaar presents Witness, a half-hour daily documentary series which features short, specially commissioned or acquired films gathered from independent filmmakers.
Each documentary reveals the unknown lives of ordinary people, following their lives, telling their stories and portraying the challenges that confront them. Our witnesses are people in a situation or those who have observed them first hand.
The films cover conflict, belief, the past and the future and as well as bringing new stories to light they showcase the talents of a new breed of multi-skilled, frontline journalist. In the studio, Rageh will further explore the issues raised in the films, with expert guests on the subject matter and the filmmakers themselves.