Yonas Getu Molla started chewing khat as an architecture student when he and his friends would munch on the leafy stimulant late into the night to help them study, according to AFP.
When they closed their books, their heartbeats racing, they would seek out depressants like vodka and cannabis to dull the plant's amphetamine-like effects so they could sleep.
Yonas blames khat for leading him into drug and alcohol addictions, which cost him his career, his savings and the respect of his family, AFP added.
"One substance would follow the other substance," he said. "It's like a coin -- the back and the front."
