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