Opium vs Food in Afganistan

Source:
Afghans' addiction to opium ravages adults, infants 
The War in Afghanistan Has Turned a Generation of Children Into Heroin Addicts

One of the many catastrophic legacies left behind by the longest war in U.S. history is that Afghanistan produces 90% of the world’s opium. As with most parts of the world, the most vulnerable pay the heaviest price of war, and the country has faced a harrowing escalation in the number of child heroin addicts. Adding that all levels of Afghan society are involved in the flourishing trade. He claimed the U.S. not only cooperated with warlords but ignored corruption by criminals whose human rights abuses created the conditions that led to the rise of the Taliban in the first place. The problem is only getting worse as American combat troops withdraw amid evidence that U.S. counter-narcotics programs here have failed despite $7 billion in taxpayer funds spent to tackle the source of the problem: poppy fields, people thought that the process is to slow. As a result, Afghanistan now produces twice as much opium as it did in the year 2000, and the booming trade now accounts for 50% of the country’s GDP.  Since then the street price for “powder,” is the cheapest in the world — and it costs less than food in the war-torn country.

 The only treatment centre in Kabul to help children, it was originally set up to treat women. The 20-bed unit, which forces kids off the drugs by making them go cold turkey is, ironically, funded by the U.S. State Department. Naval is introduced to a number of very small children who are at varying stages of the 45-day treatment programme. Claiming that of 130, 000 families in the area, 60% are addicted to drugs, the doctor explained many men pick up their addictions while working in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan that workers use opium for stimulant to work easier, now most Afghans view opium as a medicine that treats everything from a headache to cancer. Often, it's the only palliative available in the rugged country's remote regions. Opium addiction is woven into Afghan culture. It's especially common among women working in the carpet-weaving industry in the country's northern regions to ease their backaches after hours of work. Many also turn to opium to quiet their children, who accompany them to the workplace.

Personal Reflection
I think this article is quite interesting, because this country is the number one biggest opium producer yet they're having a economic problems and malnutrition of their citizen. This opium problem is very harmful, and inflict a financial loss for the consumers, so I think this problem needs immediate act to get rid of. This opium problem not only lead to economic and health issues but also to the behavior and thoughts because of addiction. Majority of people will be otiose or sluggish (lazy) and they will have lack of activities to do and in the end this result will lead to health and economics problems. What I concern the most in this article is the people who addicted were not only adults but also children above 10 age, it was caused by the usage of drugs during pregnancy and for pain killer or as a medicine. This problem is actually already been addressed by the authorities but their suggestion were not effective enough for solving the problem, and they also provide a place for rehabilitation but the room was lack of bed unit. So I hope the government could give more attention to this country and I hope you guys care enough to help or probably  share this article.