More then 55% of Treated drug-addicts are Relapsed

+ Narcotics the second Afghan killing weapon

Southern Region Surgar - In the southern provinces of Afghanistan just 45 percent of treated drugs addicts are getting to their ordinary lives after being treated, while 55 percents of those are relapsed back to drugs. 

The production of narcotics, its wide-spread trade, huge number of unemployment, social economical problems of the Region,  not to mention the Afghan war that has only gotten worse each year since it started more than nine year ago and shows no signs of ending are all the main causes of excessive  narcotics use amongst Afghans specially where security conditions are worst such as South Western Region.

Although, the exact number addictions across the country is not yet been specified but the Ministry of Counter Narcotics, estimates, drugs-addicts to have reached to one and half million people in the country. Whereas, most of the addictions are devoted to Afghanistan’s own production “heroin” which is extracted from opium.

The easy access to narcotics in Afghanistan, especially in southern province of Kandahar, and not enough stress over the campaign that usage and its trade is a crime from Afghan government are the major reasons that have helped elevate usage of drugs among people. But on the second guessing everything the reason has not been done shows the fact that the government knows that their campaign will have no effects amongst the public yet it very much possible that it will have a “back-fire” effect. Karzai government has lost trust amongst the ordinary people it is possible that if the government campaigns for anti-narcotics may actually inspire public to retribution against them. Having said that it is possible that the public will listen to the international community. It still seems as the international community has much more credibility amongst Afghans than its own government.

According to a survey done in the year 2005 showed that there were five thousands drugs-addicts in Kandahar, whereas, the officials from the ministry assume that the usage of narcotics in the region has heightened tremendously. The number is predicted to have inflated to ten times since.

There are some rehabilitation centers in Kandahar to treat opium and heroin edicts. But the rehabilitation centers are not managed effectively nor are they enough to handle the growing predicament in the province.
Accordingly to the department head of anti-narcotics and Rehab Center in Kandahar there aren’t enough facilities in Kandahar for treatment and rehabilitation of the edicts. Most of the small percentage of those edicts whom do get treated seems to relapse back to drug.  Unemployment is known to be the real cause for the relapse.

Wadan, an NGO, has established  a Rehab Center in the year 2005 that is  facilitate to treat forty drug-addicts at a time, both male and female.

Since, its establishment the Rehab Center has treated almost 2500 patients whom were addicted to drugs, said Dr. Mujeb Ahmad in charge of the Wadan treatment center in Kandahar.

The number of treated addicts is mainly men, while the number of women and children is low in comparison, he added, lots of the addicts after they are treated relapse:

“After treatment we have shadowed addict, right now we have only grasped that 45% percent of treated drug addicts are turning back to their ordinary life, despite the fact that 55 percent of them are return back to drugs.” Said Dr. Mujeb

Yet it seems to be a good start but there is a lot of room for improvement.

In an interview with Naseem Pashtoon chairman of Arakozia Corporation in Kandahar. He said “I feel strongly about the matter and I think that narcotics addiction is the second largest enemy of Afghan next to war” MR. Pashtoon also reiterated and stressed the fact that children are the future of Afghanistan are showing worrisome signs of addiction in Afghanistan especially in the Southern Western Region majority of whom are Pashtoon” He added “The main reasons for children addiction is unconscious and unwilling he said, ”Let me explain,  Children are unintentionally getting addicted while harvesting drugs mainly in the suburbs on poppy fields. Children as young as 8 years old to 16 years old are the largest work force when it comes to harvesting opium. In most cases these kids are forced to participate in harvesting opium by family members and elders to save labors in the short run. While not knowing in the disastrous long run effect, the children are unwillingly being addicted. They eventually are outcast from community and education which a big lost of these fresh minds, I also believe that another reasons for large number of children addiction to narcotics is drug usage by their parents or guardians. I am extremely concerned for the future of this growing number of addiction in Afghan children especially in Helmand and Kandahar where about 70 percent of all of Afghanistan poppy cultivation is done. It is natural that we have more addicts in this region than anywhere else in Afghanistan. Our younger generation is our hope and our future, yet they are in such big danger I have growing concern and nervousness about the future of Afghanistan, more attention has to be paid to the edicts especially the children, We have lost almost two generations to the wars we cannot afford to lose the next generation to eddiction”

 There are six thousands tolerating drugs addicts whom are waiting to get treated from Wadan Rehab Center, while this is the only treatment center in the city and it is facilitated to treat twenty addictions inside the center “mainly women” others 20 edicts at their home.

Dr. Mujeb claims that the patients under treatment in his rehab center are nearly all those people whom they have never been to Iran or Pakistan as migrants.

“the number of drugs addicts will elevate , unless the growth of poppy is not eradicated fundamentally.” Said Dr. Mujeb who has been in charged of Wadan, the only treatment center, in Kandahar.

Heroin, extracted from opium, is the second worst Afghan killing weapon after artillery/war which leads its addicts to death one by one.  

“Narcotics that most of Afghan are addicted to it, is weaponry that take lives of Afghans slowly but surely.” Said Gull Mohammad Shukran the provincial director of Counter-Narcotics Department of Kandahar. Not to mention, there are countless Hashish edicts which is not as dangerous of a drugs as Opium and heroin yet it is a sort of narcotics that has devastating effects on brain yet no obvious efforts or measures are in place to counter it”.  

Abdul Zahir Loden, who served as a military officer when Dr. Najebullah was ruling Afghanistan, is being under treatment in the WRC, whereas he claims that he has been treated many times but he is continuously relapsed.

“I stopped usage of drugs but when I get back together with my addicted friends, I am addicted all over again.” Said Mr. Loden.

Mr. Loden has been an addict to heroin, from past 6 years.

Kandahar neighboring Helmand in the south is producing more opium than any other province in the country. The provincial director of women affairs in Helmand province Fawziya Olumi says that there are many women drugs addicts in Helmand. She mentioned, that next to local edicts there a large number of Afghan women edicts who have come from neighbor country Iran.

Services are carried out either to prevent devoting people toward narcotics or help addicts to quite, but as a matter of fact the services don’t help much since they are not deep-seated Ms. Olumi added, “There should be some fundamental services carried out so as to crackdown on the problem and find job opportunities for addicts. Keeping edicts busy will help edicts overcome their eddiction.”

“Governmental and none-governmental organizations are impressing people about the inconveniences of narcotics, but its ineffective because most of the addicts are not educated and are not able to understand the teaching accordingly.”

Lack of awareness in the community and families is also a factor for leading drug addiction in the country.