Recently, many stimulant substances that Yemeni youth are addicted to have spread significantly, including the locally known Al-Shamma (tobacco powder mixed with other substances), Al-Shabu, and Al-Hoot, and the latter became recently popular among high school students. It is sold in markets, groceries, and hookah and tobacco shops and cafes in broad daylight, even though it is manufactured from a substance prohibited by the General Authority for Standardization, Metrology, and Quality Control, and despite being a product of unknown origin.
Deadly path
Al-Hoot (Khini) is one of the types of sniffles that contain semi-alkaline and toxic substances capable of destroying the health of those who use it in a very short time. This is confirmed by Lubna Al-Hashim - head of the laboratory of the Yemeni Organization for Standardization, Metrology and Quality Control. In an interview with "Khuyut", Lubna explained that sniffing the whale contains nicotine and menthol, with a high concentration equivalent to ten times of that contained in cigarettes. Al-Hashem added, "Consuming nicotine for the first time leads to a state of dizziness and a feeling of stomach pain, in addition to an increase in heart rate in young people, in addition to being a major cause of cancer and atherosclerosis."
For his part, Mujahed Al-Jawfi, a cancer oncology specialist, confirmed, in an interview with "Khuyut", that the increasing number of mouth cancer cases in Yemen - specifically - is caused by menthol, which is included in the sniff (whale), that is taken orally for long periods leading to addiction and habitual voracious use.
Fake happiness
Dhia Ahmed (a pseudonym), one of the high school students who used to whale sniff since an early age, told "Khuyut": "When I was in the ninth grade, I saw my friends taking it and describing it as giving them happiness, so I loved living this experience, as I started taking two doses a day. After nearly a year had passed, I started taking three doses at once, that is, at the rate of two sachets (a package of ten doses) per day, until I reached a high level of addiction.” “I cannot do anything or even leave the house If I don't take enough dose!" He added.
The substance "Al-Hoot Khini" is introduced to the capitals of cities, especially the capital, Sana'a, in various ways. For example, it is brought in by mass transit buses in the form of personal belongings due to its small size, or it is brought by passenger cars between Sana’a and other governorates, given that there are no authorized agents in the capital, Sana’a, while it is distributed via motorcycles to shisha and tobacco shops.
The situation is no different with Ahmed (20 years old), who started consuming Shammat Al-Hoot while working in one of the southern governorates. Ahmed told "Khuyut": "I was working in selling Qat with a group of my friends who are accustomed to taking sniffs of "whale", so one of them suggested I take a dose and it would give me a feeling of quality and high mood; I took it at first for fun and to improve my mood, and it took only a few days for me to become addicted and I can't quit it."
Personal belongings
After researching and investigating how Shammat Al-Hoot entered the capital, Sana'a, a source confirmed to "Khuyut" that Shammat "Al-Hoot Khini" is being introduced to the capitals of cities, especially the capital, Sana'a, in various ways; For example, it is brought by mass transit buses in the form of personal belongings due to its small size, or by taxi cars travelling between Sana’a and other governorates, as there are no authorized agents in the capital Sana’a. Once entered, it is distributed via motorcycles to hookah and tobacco shops at specific and appropriate times for local distributors. This was also confirmed by Mohammad Omar (a pseudonym), the owner of a shop selling hookah and tobacco, in an interview with "Khuyut".
When the author of the report attempted to communicate with a distributor in the capital, Sana'a, to request a quantity of Shammat al-Hoot, he refused to cooperate with him for fear that he was affiliated with a security agency.
Commercial cover
In the context, the head of the media center of the Yemeni Organization for Standardization, Metrology and Quality Control, Ibrahim Al-Durra, spoke to "Khuyut", saying:
"There are a number of merchants and businessmen who have a commercial record in the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and they import this product into the Yemeni markets through the customs outlets.”
Moreover, Al-Durra continues: "On the other hand, large quantities of the Whale product are routinely destroyed, and among the destruction campaigns is what we did on the seventh of November of last year, when nearly nine thousand packages weighing 4 grams were seized and destroyed, in Afar customs in Al-Baidha. The cargo was belonging to one of Merchants who have a commercial registry at the Ministry. On Friday, the 18th of the same month, more than seven thousand packages were destroyed at the same customs.”
Ignore and neglect
This, and the statistics of the Cancer Foundation in both Taiz and Aden confirm that more than 300 cases of mouth cancer, tongue and gums have been recorded, while we did not find statistics in the Cancer Foundation and the National Cancer Center in Sana’a; However, the numbers official at the National Cancer Center in Sana’a, Ali Al-Masajdi, spoke to “Khuyut” about an issue that he considers to be the most important, related to the absence of research and studies on the causes and statistics, saying: “There is no field research on the harmful impacts,” and the reason for this is due to the absence of the role of the state, the weakness of financial resources that help researchers in conducting studies, and the poor information and transparency provided by patients’ companions.
Lack of law enforcement
It is worth noting that Yemeni law prohibits the circulation of nicotine and menthol. It is considered a narcotic, which is confirmed by the legal lawyer Abdulqader Al-Dhari, in an interview with “Khuyut”, saying: “Nicotine and menthol are carcinogenic and prohibited substances, according to the law, as Article No. (2) of the Narcotics Law stipulates that: “Any person who imports, exports, produces, possesses, keeps, buys, sells, exchanges for, or disposes of narcotic substances in any capacity, or intervenes in his capacity as an intermediary or employee, with or without pay, except in the cases stipulated in this law and under the conditions set forth therein".
Therefore, any quantity that was seized and possessed is confiscated, according to Article (36) states: “In all cases, the funds obtained from these crimes of any kind shall be confiscated, and the means of transportation that may have been used in the crime shall be confiscated, as well as the destruction of the seized narcotics.”
He added that: Whoever is proven guilty of this shall be punished, as stipulated in Article (38): “Whoever possesses, purchases, produces, extracts, separates or manufactures narcotic substances or cultivates one of the plants listed in Schedule No. (5) or possess it or buy it, and that was for the purpose of addiction or personal use, unless it is proven that he was authorized to do so, according to a medical ticket or in accordance with the provisions of this law.”
