A very critical and hazardous obstacle along with the Afghan security and political development is the challenging matter that is for sure the drug planting and growing in an eye catching ratio. A survey shows that nearly 90% of the world narcotic is grown in our homeland Afghanistan. This has not only been a domestic catastrophe for the Afghan civilian but for the globe too. The ministry of social health care centers announced that nearly 2.5 million of Afghan civilians are addicted to intoxicating stuffs such as opium, hashish, chars and many other harmful drugs.
The annual export of opium from Afghanistan is astonishing whilst the government cannot really take any sort of serious actions against the high growth of drug addiction in Afghan civilians. In particular the young and fresh stratum of our community has been vulnerable through decades concerning drug addiction. It is not only the male gender who suffers from this pernicious disease but recently the female gender has also been involved in such activities. The point to ponder about is there are not any specialized care centers to treat and cure the addicted people.
What is drug addiction and what harms and side effects it causes for the health of addicted people?
Drug addiction is a dependence on an illegal drug or medication. When you are addicted, you may not be able to control your drug use and you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes. Drug addiction can cause an intense craving for the drug. You may want to quit, but most people find that they cannot do it on their own. For many people, what starts as casual use leads to drug addiction. Drug addiction can cause serious, long term consequences, including problems with physical and mental health, relationship, employment and the law. Drug addiction is a complex brain disease. It is characterized by compulsive, at times uncontrollable, drug craving, seeking, and uses that persist even in the face of extremely negative consequences. Drug seeking becomes compulsive, in large part as a result of the effects of prolonged drug use on brain functioning and, thus, on behavior. For many people, drug addiction becomes chronic, with relapses possible even after long period of abstinence.
Many people do not understand why and how other people become addicted to drug. It is often mistakenly assumed that drug abusers lack moral principles or will power and that they can stop using drugs simply by choosing to change their behavior. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease. And quitting takes more than good and firm intention or a strong will. In fact, because drug change the brain in ways that foster compulsive drug abuse. Quitting is difficult even for those who really want to do so. Through scientific advances, we know more about how drug works in the brain than ever, and we also know that drug addiction can be successful to help people stop abusing drugs and lead productive lives.
Opium has been cultivated in Afghanistan since 1100 A.D., although production has steadily increased since 1979. Currently, Afghanistan produces three-quarters of the global opium supply, with injection drug use and HIV currently following the opium trade route through Central Asia. Although systematic studies are lacking, heroin use appears to be on the rise in Afghanistan. The purpose of this article is to briefly provide historical background and current statistics for drug production and use in Afghanistan, to discuss the new government's policies towards problem drug use and available rehabilitation programs, and to assess Afghan harm reduction needs with consideration of regional trends.
The rise of the Taliban regime was marked with steady increasing opium production, despite their pledge to "cleanse Afghanistan of the poisoned poppies. Increased opium production has been attributed to economic realities faced by the Taliban, who received little external donor support due to international sanctions. Historically, opium has been used in Afghan communities as medication for different conditions, particularly pain and respiratory complaints. Opium use also has a traditional role in the societies of some groups. There are few national estimates of opium use in Afghanistan; the highest regional use is noted in northeastern Badakhshan Province along the Tajik border, with 20–30% of the local population estimated to be addicted.
High use rates have also been reported in districts of Herat and Farah Provinces. Although problem of drug use appears to be increasing in Afghanistan, addiction treatment remains limited. Medical services are provided to addicts through both public and private sectors, which, together, are not able to meet the demand for services. In the public sector, the National Mental Health Institutes, under direction of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), have functioning treatment and rehabilitation centers in several Afghan cities. The center in Kabul (Mental Health Institute) has only 30 treatment slots. In a few provinces, there are branches of the Mental Health Institute providing out-patient services, such as counseling, but these do not have an in-patient facility.
Addiction has been a real problem for our society in particular in the capital Kabul if we put a glimpse over the environment of the capital there are thousands of problems from the pollution to addiction. Thousands of our youngsters are involved in such activities which are deadly dangerous for the future of our community. There is a dire need of changes in the policy of social challenges for the concerned government. Let’s make this our social, cultural, religious and humanitarian duty that each individual of us would feel his responsibility and act upon those responsibilities in the best way.
We would urge from our youngsters to severely avoid using drugs either narcotics or tobaccos because everything gradually increases; people start from cigarette and consequently reach to heroin, opium, chars and other compulsive and irritating stuffs. It is thought that in a society where the young generation does not feel its duties and put the bucks on the other strata of the society’s shoulder that society is condemned to the harsh and dire penalties, however there is a bright flashes of hope in the fortune of our community if we shake our legs and feel the pain and sweat out our efforts to gain achievements and make our society free of every junks and punks.