Afghanistan's massive heroin production has led to regional warlords running drug cartels, trafficking the biggest economic product the country has to offer. This was known. But today's article in USA Today sheds some figures on the growing epidemic of Afghani heroin addiction.
USA Today writes, "The number of addicts in Afghanistan is far greater than in the USA. A survey by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2005 showed Afghanistan had 920,000 heroin addicts, or 3.8% of the population. In the USA, 282,000 people are dependent on heroin, or .2% of the population..."
To do the math for you, that means 19 times as many people per capita are addicted to heroin, in a country with far fewer resources. One man interviewed in the article explained, "I use it to get through the day, to tolerate the depression of my existence." Damn. Add this problem to the to-do list.
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