Shaun McCanna examines the effects of the country’s ever-booming opium industry, which grew over the past ten years from “supplying roughly 50% of Europe’s heroin to over 90% of the world’s”:
The increase in supply of heroin led to a dramatic drop in the domestic price. In Kabul, you can now buy three grams of pure heroin for $5 US. According to the UNODC, there are now over 1 million drug addicts in Afghanistan —roughly 8% of the adult population.
The problem is expected to grow worse as US and NATO troops leave the country:
Currently, foreign funds from US and NATO occupation account for 53% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product; illicit crops account for 26%. With the withdrawal of foreign troops, the amount of cash flowing into the country will dwindle, so illicit crops will become a larger—if not the largest—portion of GDP.
The Dish 