PLUS ONE NEWS CENTRE: AFGHANISTAN : SOURCE OF OPIUM - DOUBLE GLOBAL AVERAGE OF DRUG ABUSE : THE LEGACIES AS THE WORLD EVACUATES THE NATION : QUESTIONS

2021 A.D.E. SINCE TIME BEGAN : CAVEAT - FORWARD THINKING STATEMENT - CAVEAT : IN TRUTH WE TRUST 2021 A.D.E.

Respectfully Published By : R Charles Goodwin : Open Editorial Commentary

ALL IMAGES BELOW ARE CLICKABLE LINKS ADDRESS : EMAIL DIRECT ALL IMAGES BELOW ARE CLICKABLE LINKS

AFGHANISTAN

GLOBAL SOURCE FOR OPIUM : " The country has been the world's leading illicit drug producer since 2001. In 2007, 93% of the non-pharmaceutical-grade opiates on the world market originated in Afghanistan. By 2019 Afghanistan still produced about 84% of the world market "
WHAT % OF AFGHANS SUFFER DRUG ABUSE ?
ANSWER : " VIENNA, 21 June (UN Information Service) - A survey on Drug Use in Afghanistan, issued today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), shows that around one million Afghans (age 15-64) suffer from drug addiction. At eight per cent of the population, this rate is twice the global average "

ALL IMAGES BELOW ARE CLICKABLE LINKS

UNITED NATIONS

CHILD RIGHTS REPRESENTATIVES : COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

TALIBAN & OPIUM - REPORT

"Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, addressed the country’s opium industry at a press conference last week. He vowed that Afghanistan will not be a country of opium cultivation and that they will bring opium cultivation to zero again, in reference to the 2000 ban. To stop Heroin production and drug smuggling, Mujahid says the country will need help.
“From now on, Afghanistan will be a narcotics-free country but it needs international assistance. The international community should help us so that we can have alternative crops. We can provide alternative crops. Then, of course, very soon, we can bring it to an end,” Mujahid said.
Experts believe that this vow is unlikely to come to fruition as opium trade has become too integral to the Taliban and Afghanistan’s economy. The country is on track to become a “narco-state” because the poppy plant is much more lucrative than any of their other cash crops. Cultivation of opium in Afghanistan has seen a 37% increase in the past year alone. By banning Afghanistan’s opium production, the Taliban risks alienating the country’s rural areas and the farmers who are financially dependent on the substance. This kind of economic impact can lead to a possible rebellion against them. At the same time, the group is hoping to avoid the isolation they experienced in 1996 when they first gained control. "
REUTERS ADDENDUM
ALL IMAGES ABOVE ARE CLICKABLE LINKS