Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Now in power, Taliban sets sights on Afghan drug underworld
Opium poppy plants can be refined to form the basis for several highly addictive drugs like heroin. Afghanistan, under any rule, has been the world’s largest producer of opium, accounting for over 80% of the world’s supply. It actually contributes more than 10% of the country’s economy. Though the Taliban claims there was no production of drugs during their former ruling in 1996-2001, opium poppy cultivation rose substantially. While opium production generates employment and tax revenues in Afghanistan, it also creates massive addiction around the country. After seizing the ruling power, the Taliban started to stamp out drug usage in Kabul, the capital. Policemen, most of who are former fighters, hunt homeless drug users and take them to treatment centers. Those opium addicts are then stripped, washed, and shaved their heads to undergo a 45-day detoxification program, which accompanies discomfort and pain. When they complete the program, will they stay away from drugs?
At least, the new Afghanistan administration is trying to deal with the illness of the country.
Read the article and see the photos to learn about Afghan’s deep-rooted problem.
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