Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Opium And Heroin Addiction Is Going To Be Afghanistan's Long Term Problem

In Afghanistan, most children become addicts as a result of their parents - passively inhaling their fathers’ opium smoke in the house. (Reuters)

Afghanistan’s Growing Number Of Child Drug Addicts -- Al Arabiya

They play badminton, kick a ball around and huddle over computer games just like normal children.

Except that they are recovering drug addicts aged around three to 12, representing a growing proportion of drug users in war-torn Afghanistan.

In response, increasing numbers of rehabilitation centers are weaning such children off their addiction and giving them a new appetite for life in a country that produces 90 percent of the world’s opium used to make heroin.

While there are no statistics for kids, the rate of relapse is high for their parents, experts say.

Read more
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Update: Adolescent drug addiction on the rise in Afghanistan -- Radio Australia

My Comment: I suspect that these numbers are just the tip of the iceberg.

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