The trafficking and use of drugs in Afghanistan can affect nearly all aspects of the people’s lives. Drug addiction is not just a compulsion but an actual disease that requires treatment and compassion, just like any other chronic health condition.
And addiction affects many more people than just the addicts themselves. An addiction to drugs comes at a great cost, on both an individual and community-wide scale.
In Afghanistan, there are several centers for the treatment of drug-addicts. Recently, officials at the 150-bed drug rehabilitation in Kabul have said that they are struggling to provide essential services for patients. Currently, the center treating women and children is facing economic challenges due to lack of international aids.
Dozens of women and children are currently under treatment at the center.
According to the center’s officials, there are children who are with their mothers and sometimes children who are bought in from a street or from under bridges, who don’t have their parents with them are registered and accepted for treatment.
The center had been previously supported and its employees’ salaries were being paid by development funds. Currently, all of the center’s services are feeble including the services for the patients as those under treatment at the center are provided with vegetables and fruits.
In recent months, dozens of drug-addicted women have been collected in Kabul.
The Kabul security command has said that more than 100 drug-addicted women have been collected from different parts of Kabul in the past one year. Most women are now under treatment at the center.
With the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) takeover in mid-August last year, in a major crackdown on illegal practices in the country, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) supreme leader in April this year issued a decree banning the cultivation of poppies in Afghanistan.
According to the decree, “all Afghans are informed that from now on, cultivation of poppy has been strictly prohibited across the country. “If anyone violates the decree, the crop will be destroyed immediately and the violator will be treated according to the Sharia law,” the decree said.
The decree stated that in addition to this, usage, transportation, trade, export and import of all types of narcotics such as alcohol, heroin, Tablet K (which can contain methamphetamine and/or heroin), hashish and all drug manufacturing factories in Afghanistan are strictly banned. The decree noted that “enforcement of this decree is mandatory”. In addition, anyone breaking this law with be “prosecuted and punished”.
Currently, there are nearly 3 million drug-addicts in Afghanistan, which is so painful. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has pledged to prevent from producing and cultivation of poppy and drugs in the country.
Besides, countering the phenomenon requires close cooperation and determination of the international community.
Saida Ahmadi
Illicit drugs creating major problems for society
