Afghanistan, Drugs, War, Addiction

According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), no other country in the world produces as much heroin, opium, and hashish as Afghanistan, a sad distinction for a country already ravaged by war. This may explain why control efforts so far have been concentrated on poppy eradication and interdiction to stem exports, with less attention paid to the rising domestic addiction problem, particularly in children. (source infra)

A tragic legacy of Afghanistan’s war - Daily News Egypt: " . . . Both American and Afghan counter narcotic officials have said that such widespread domestic drug addiction is a relatively new problem. Among the factors leading to increased levels of drug use among adults is the high unemployment rate throughout the country, the social upheaval provoked by this war and those that preceded it, and the return of refugees from Iran and Pakistan who became addicts while abroad. Those who are injecting drugs face the additional risk of an HIV infection through the sharing of contaminated syringes. “Drug addiction and HIV/AIDS are, together, Afghanistan’s silent tsunami,” said Tariq Suliman, director of the Nejat’s rehabilitation centre to the U.N. Office for Humanitarian Affairs. There are about 40 treatment centres for addicts dispersed throughout the country but most are small, poorly staffed, and under-resourced. . . ." (read more at link above)

more addiction and alcoholism news below

The Way Out

Follow @jmpoolecom