Afghanistan's Women

RAWA

In Afghanistan: The Ministry of Counter Narcotics has opened clinics and drug centers, but addiction is on the rise in the impoverished war-ravaged country as drug production has spiraled, making narcotics of increasing purity more available.

Opium production rose 49 percent this year to 6,700 tons — enough to make about 670 tons of heroin. That’s more than 90 percent of the world’s supply and more than the world’s addicts consume in a year.

“When the poppy cultivation increases, the number of addicts also increases,” said Gen. Khodaidad, deputy minister for policy and coordination in the Ministry of Counter Narcotics. “The addicts — the 920,000 people — this number is increasing day by day.”