| #ffffff;" /> | | | | trade has affected Afghanistan’s citizenry in |
| The worldwide illicit drugs business is by far the most | | | | an unexpected and very negative way. Historically, |
| profitable illicit global trade, says the United Nations | | | | poppy farmers and citizens rarely used the drugs |
| Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), earning some | | | | personally. Today, according to UN reports, thousands |
| $320 billion annually. Compared to this, human | | | | of Afghani’s are abusing the drugs and |
| trafficking at $32 billion and illegal firearms at $1 billion | | | | becoming addicted, and desperately need drug rehab. |
| are a drop in the bucket. Afghanistan, producing 92% | | | | But the country doesn’t have the necessary |
| of the world’s illegal opium from its miles and | | | | infrastructure to support drug rehab facilities. |
| miles of poppy farms, is by far the world’s | | | | As for solutions, the U.S. is pushing for crop spraying |
| largest contributor to the production of illicit heroin | | | | and destruction. But thousands of farmers will be out |
| and morphine. For millions of addicts around the | | | | of work and penniless. Replacing poppies with other |
| world, the dark force from Afghanistan that rules | | | | crops won’t work because there’s no |
| their lives can only be overcome through drug rehab. | | | | distribution system for exporting produce. Others are |
| Not surprisingly, no one has come up with a workable | | | | suggesting the opium trade be legitimized and |
| idea on how to stop it. The problem is that the chain | | | | production redirected for medicines. But the health |
| of “narcodollars” reaches from the | | | | industry won’t pay street prices to drug |
| poppy farms all the way to the highest levels of | | | | barons, so that probably won’t fly. |
| Afghanistan’s government, with the Taliban | | | | Meanwhile, here in America we continue to deal with |
| insurgents in the mix in a very big way. At $3.1 billion, | | | | street drug crime and lives being ruined through |
| the opium trade is the equivalent of a third of the | | | | opiate addiction. Until a solution is found to stop the |
| country’s total economy. Last year’s | | | | supplies of drugs from around the world, we can try |
| 6,100 tons of opium was worth $60 billion at street | | | | to prevent addiction by our own example and |
| prices, and this year an even larger crop is expected. | | | | through effective education. |
| As well as keeping the drug barons rich, the drug | | | | |