Article by Nikki Shaver
Photo courtesy of Majalla.com
The world recently had their eyes opened by a short film called “Addicted in Afghanistan”, which profiles a family that is addicted to heroin and opium. Many people know that Afghanistan is the largest producer of opium in the world, but not everyone realized that the people of the country itself are facing an epidemic of addiction.
While many countries including Canada and the US have tried to assist the Afghan government in making efforts to fight off the drug trade, the situation is troubled by the fact that lots of supposed drug traffickers are now rumored to be top officials in the Karzai government. Statistics released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime discovered 52% of the nation's GDP, which is $2.7 billion per year, is created by the drug trade. The upsurge in manufacturing of the product has been connected to the worsening security issue, as production of opiates is strikingly lower in zones which have steady security measures. Some citizens of Afghanistan believe the annihilation of the poppy crops is not a feasible option as the selling of poppies is how the majority of rural farmers earn their living. Statistics reveal that 3.3 million Afghani citizens are producing opium.
Because of the estimation that 95% of all Heroin being sold on the streets of Europe comes from Afghanistan, there is very little talk of the drugs that actually stay in the country and the horrible effects it is having on the youth and future of those in Afghanistan. After the fall of the Taliban, what future is there for the next generation of Afghani people? “Addicted in Afghanistan” by Jawed Taiman shows Zahir and Jabar who are two teenaged friends, whose own families including their mother, father and sisters are also addicted to opium and heroin. "Addicted in Afghanistan" is a first-hand, in-depth depiction, captured on film over one whole year, of the daily life and hardships of a modern generation of children and teens addicted to heroin and opium, aiming to search for a way of life in Afghanistan.
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