Saudi TV host, Islamic scholar, author and journalist Mohsin Shaikh Al-Hassan has initiated a campaign to forbid the use of qat (Catha edulias), a mild narcotic, among Yemenis.

“I have written a letter enumerating the harmful effects of qat among Yemeni citizens. I’ll send copies of the same to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi (that country's legitimate President), Yemen TV and Aden TV,” he told Arab News on Saturday.

Citing a report, he said: “Qat has come to mean everything in Yemeni life; some among the poor even forgo food to buy qat and it is leading to poverty”, which is cultivated in various parts of Yemen.

Al-Hassan said the initiative is in view of the fact that Saudi Arabia has not only led the campaign to restore the legitimate government, but the nation is also involved in rehabilitating Yemenis by giving $274 million in aid through the United Nations.

About 90 percent of Yemenis are addicted to qat, he said, calling on Yemeni scholars to help in preventing the widespread use of qat because it is also against Islam.

Quoting a study by Ahmed Al-Hadraini of the University of Thamar in Yemen, Al-Hassan said the use of qat has various harmful effects like loss of memory, brain haemmhorage, increase in cholesterol, loss of appetite and tooth decay.