Afghanistan
The world's top opium producer is struggling to contain its drug problem. The flow of opiates from Afghanistan to Western markets is also affecting countries along the drug-trafficking routes. The trail leaves behind increased crime, drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. This special feature takes a closer look at the situation.
An opium farmer in north-east Afghanistan is thankful for the harvest. In 2006, cultivation in his province increased by 77 per cent. |
Afghan soldiers prepare to walk for five days to the border with Tajikistan, where they will participate in counter-narcotics operations. The border between these countries is roughly 1,200 kilometers long. |
Two addicts get ready to inject heroin. Most of the 10 million heroin abusers worldwide live in Asia, primarily in the countries around Afghanistan and Myanmar. |
A patient lies in bed in the ward reserved for drug addicts at a psychiatric hospital in Kabul. About 200,000 people in the country abuse opiates. |
An Afghan poppy farmer blows opium smoke into his hungry child's face to pacify him. |