Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, January 22, 2010
Afghan Province to Evict Addicts
Soaring rates of drug addiction in Afghanistan have led one province to adopt an extreme policy: Kick the habit or get kicked out of the region.
Leaders of the area, which is located in the remote eastern region of Ghazni, are taking desperate action to battle the overwhelming increase in young addicts over the past several years. Heroin addicts are being given quitting deadlines after tribal elders decided that the only way to fight the tide of addiction was to begin threatening, punishing and ultimately evicting drug users.
Users receive a warning, followed by a fine. If they ignore these measures, they may have their houses burned down, and they will eventually be evicted from their communities. The measures will also be used against drug dealers and suppliers.
Elder Mohammad Razaq commented: "Heroin addiction among our young people was destroying us. This destruction was getting worse and worse every day and we felt that we had no choice but to deal with it in this way.
"Since the elders made the decision, we have evicted more than 200 addicts from villages in this district. They have all been told that until they give up their addiction, they are not welcome back."
Opium exports currently represent about 25 percent of Afghanistan's annual gross domestic product, or $2.8 billion. Opium is a widely grown crop, which contributes to its easy availability.
In addition, according to a United Nations report, "Conflict, displacement, economic hardship and overflowing opium production have generated widespread drug abuse in Afghanistan."
(Source: www.google.com/hostednews)
Leaders of the area, which is located in the remote eastern region of Ghazni, are taking desperate action to battle the overwhelming increase in young addicts over the past several years. Heroin addicts are being given quitting deadlines after tribal elders decided that the only way to fight the tide of addiction was to begin threatening, punishing and ultimately evicting drug users.
Users receive a warning, followed by a fine. If they ignore these measures, they may have their houses burned down, and they will eventually be evicted from their communities. The measures will also be used against drug dealers and suppliers.
Elder Mohammad Razaq commented: "Heroin addiction among our young people was destroying us. This destruction was getting worse and worse every day and we felt that we had no choice but to deal with it in this way.
"Since the elders made the decision, we have evicted more than 200 addicts from villages in this district. They have all been told that until they give up their addiction, they are not welcome back."
Opium exports currently represent about 25 percent of Afghanistan's annual gross domestic product, or $2.8 billion. Opium is a widely grown crop, which contributes to its easy availability.
In addition, according to a United Nations report, "Conflict, displacement, economic hardship and overflowing opium production have generated widespread drug abuse in Afghanistan."
(Source: www.google.com/hostednews)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 8:17 AM
1 comments
Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, August 21, 2009
Opium Addiction Ravages Afghanistan
Afghanistan supplies over 90 percent of the world's opium and now the people of Afghanistan, including large numbers of women and children, are being crushed by a tsunami of opium addiction.
Experts estimate that there are around 2 million opium addicts in Afghanistan. In poverty-stricken areas, it is not uncommon for mothers to give their children opium. Opium suppresses hunger pains and relieves the biting cold of winter.
Although some families are lucky enough to receive addiction treatment, chronic poverty and suffering and easy access to opium draws them back into using. Dr. Toorpaikay Zazai, who runs a family treatment center where she treats more than 100 children in west Kabul, says children get addicted quicker and it's harder for them to quit.
"For every addicted mother, there are on average four addicted children," she said. "If something isn't done today, the country will lose a generation to drugs."
(Source: CBSnews.com)
Experts estimate that there are around 2 million opium addicts in Afghanistan. In poverty-stricken areas, it is not uncommon for mothers to give their children opium. Opium suppresses hunger pains and relieves the biting cold of winter.
Although some families are lucky enough to receive addiction treatment, chronic poverty and suffering and easy access to opium draws them back into using. Dr. Toorpaikay Zazai, who runs a family treatment center where she treats more than 100 children in west Kabul, says children get addicted quicker and it's harder for them to quit.
"For every addicted mother, there are on average four addicted children," she said. "If something isn't done today, the country will lose a generation to drugs."
(Source: CBSnews.com)
Labels: addiction, drug-abuse, opium
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 11:44 AM
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