PAN, April 8, 2010

Addicts spend USD1.5m a day on drugs: survey

In 2004, the total number of addicts was around 920,000 while the numbers soared to 1.5 million in 2007, the official said

Khwaja Basir Ahmad

A heroin addict. (Photo: inthetimeofgrace.blogspot.com)

A survey showed over one million drug addicts, including women and children, in Afghanistan spent 1.5 million US dollars to buy drugs on a daily basis, an official said on Thursday.

The spokesman for the counter-narcotics ministry Zalmay Afzali told a press conference here the survey revealed the number of drug addicts had increased in the country. "An addict uses drug costing one US dollar a day," he added.

The survey was jointly conducted by the ministries of counter narcotics, public health, World Health Organisation and other organisations.

In 2004, the total number of addicts was around 920,000 while the numbers soared to 1.5 million in 2007, the official said.

Afzali informed seven drug addict rehabilitation hospitals would be established while work on a seven-bed rehabilitation facility would be launched as soon as possible. The projects would be established with financial support from the USA, British and Canadian governments, he explained.

Afzali briefed journalists about the decrease in opium production in the southern province of Helmand, the world's largest opium producing region.

Last year, a 33 percent decrease was recorded in poppy cultivation, according to Afzali.

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