Close
KTAR.com
News
Shows
Blogs
KTAR News on 92.3FM

AP PHOTOS: Despair and poverty fuel drug use in Afghanistan

Jul 19, 2022, 11:11 PM | Updated: Jul 20, 2022, 11:05 am

Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug trea...

Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

(AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Associated Press's Profile Picture

BY


KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Hundreds of men using heroin, opium and meth were strewn over a hillside above Kabul in tents or lying in the dirt. Some of them overdose, and quietly slip across the line from despair to death.

“There’s a dead man next to you,” someone told me as I picked my way among them, taking pictures.

“We buried someone over there earlier,” another said.

One man was face down in the mud, not moving. I shook him by the shoulder and asked if he was alive. He turned his head a bit, just half out of the mud, and whispered that he was.

“You’re dying,” I told him. “Try to survive.”

“It’s fine,” he said, his voice sounding exhausted. “It’s OK to die.”

He lifted his body a little. I gave him some water, and someone gave him a glass pipe of heroin. Smoking it gave him some energy. He said his name was Dawood. He had lost a leg to a mine about a decade ago during the war and couldn’t work after that. His life fell apart and he turned to drugs to escape.

Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin and now a major source of meth. The drug use has been fueled by persistent poverty and decades of war that left few families unscarred.

It appears to be getting worse since the country’s economy collapsed following the seizure of power by the Taliban in August 2021 and the subsequent halt of international financing. Families once able to get by found their livelihoods cut off, leaving many barely able to afford food. Millions have joined the ranks of the impoverished.

Drug users can be found around Kabul, living in parks and sewage drains, under bridges and on open hillsides.

A 2015 survey by the U.N. estimated that up to 2.3 million people had used drugs that year, which would have amounted to about 5% of the population at the time. Seven years later, the number is not known, but it’s believed to have only increased, according to Dr. Zalmel, the head of the Drug Demand Reduction Department who like many Afghans uses only one name.

The Taliban have launched an aggressive campaign to eradicate poppy cultivation. At the same time, they inherited the ousted, internationally backed government’s policy of forcing drug users into camps.

Earlier this summer, Taliban fighters stormed two areas frequented by drug users — the one on the hillside and another under a bridge. They collected about 1,500 people, officials said. They were taken to the Avicenna Medical Hospital for Drug Treatment, a former U.S. military base.

It’s the largest of several treatment camps around Kabul. There, the residents were shaved and kept in a barracks for 45 days. They receive no treatment or medication as they go through withdrawal. The camp barely has enough money to feed those who live there.

Such camps do little to treat addiction.

A week after the raids, both locations were once again full of hundreds of people using drugs.

On the hillside, I saw a man who was wandering in the darkness with a feeble flashlight. He was searching for his brother, who fell into drug use years ago and left home. “I hope one day I can find him,” he said.

Under the bridge, where the stench was overwhelming, one man in his 30s who identified himself as Nazer seemed to be a figure of respect, breaking up fights and mediating disputes.

He said he spends most of his days under the bridge but goes to his home every once in a while. Addiction has spread throughout his family, he said.

When I expressed surprise that the area under the bridge had filled up again, Nazir smiled.

“It’s normal,” he said. “Every day, they become more and more. … It never ends.”

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) A drug addict undergoing treatment looks out from behind the iron bars of the detoxification ward of a drug treatment camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, May 30, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Drug addicts undergoing treatment stand in the detoxification ward of a drug treatment camp in Kabul, Afghanistan,Sunday, June 19, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Drug addicts undergoing treatment eat in a dining hall of a drug treatment camp, in Kabul Afghanistan, Monday, May 30, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Drug addicts undergoing treatment eat in a dining hall of a drug treatment camp, in Kabul Afghanistan, Monday, May 30, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Drug addicts rest on their bed in the detoxification ward of a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 29, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) A drug addict sits on his bed in the detoxification ward of a drug treatment camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, May 30, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Drug addicts detained during a Taliban raid, are taken to the detoxification ward of a drug treatment camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 29, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Drug addicts detained during a Taliban raid wait to be transferred to the detoxification ward of a drug treatment camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, May 29, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) A drug addict detained during a Taliban raid is shaved at a drug treatment camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) A drug addict detained during a Taliban raid is shaved at a drug treatment camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) A drug addict detained during a Taliban raid walks to a shower in a drug addiction treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Drug addicts detained during a Taliban raid wait to have their heads shaved in a drug addiction treatment camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Drug addicts detained during a Taliban raid wait to have a shower in a drug addiction treatment camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Drug addicts detained during a Taliban raid walk in line on their way to the detoxification ward of a drug addiction treatment camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Afghan drug addicts who were rounded up during a Taliban raid are waiting in a truck to be taken to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, June 2, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Afghan drug addicts who were rounded up during a Taliban raid are waiting in a truck to be taken to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, June 2, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Taliban fighters look for drug addicts hiding in the garbage to detain and move them to a drug treatment camp, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan searches for his drug addicted brother among other addicts under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Body of a dead addict lies covered by a shawl in an area inhabited by drug users under a bridge in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Afghan addicts smoke heroin under a bridge in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Thursday, June 9, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Afghans addicts gather under a bridge to consume drugs, mostly heroin and methamphetamines in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, June 9, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Thursday, June 16, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Hundreds of Afghans addicts gather under a bridge to consume drugs, mostly heroin and methamphetamines in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Afghans drug addicts gather under a bridge to smoke heroin, as the addicted and hungover dogs have fallen on the ground, in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Hundreds of Afghans addicts gather under a bridge to consume drugs, mostly heroin and methamphetamines in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Addicted dogs sit among the hundreds of Afghans addicts who gather on the edge of a hill to consume drugs, mostly heroin and methamphetamines in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict gives heroin to an addicted dog on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Thursday, June 9, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Thursday, June 9, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) An Afghan drug addict smokes heroin on the edge of a hill in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan,Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin. The ranks of the addicted have been fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

AP

(Pixabay Photo)...

Associated Press

6 arrested in alleged scheme to fraudulently collect millions in COVID aid meant for renters

Six people from Washington, Arizona and Texas have been arrested and accused of fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars of COVID-19 aid from an assistance program meant for renters, federal prosecutors said.

19 hours ago

FILE - Protesters stand outside of the Senate chamber at the Indiana Statehouse on Feb. 22, 2023, i...

Associated Press

LGBTQ+ Americans are under attack, Human Rights Campaign declares in state of emergency warning

The Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. on Tuesday.

3 days ago

FILE - People wait in line outside the Supreme Court in Washington to listen to oral arguments in a...

Associated Press

Supreme Court opened the door to states’ voting restrictions. Now a new ruling could widen them.

Within hours of a U.S. Supreme Court decision dismantling a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, Texas lawmakers announced plans to implement a strict voter ID law that had been blocked by a federal court. Lawmakers in Alabama said they would press forward with a similar law that had been on hold.

3 days ago

Gavel (Pexels Photo)...

Associated Press

Ex-teacher sentenced to prison for making death threat against Arizona legislator

A former Tucson middle school teacher was sentenced Tuesday to 2 ½ years in prison after pleading guilty to making a death threat against Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers.

3 days ago

FILE - Police officers stand outside a Target store as a group of people protest across the street,...

Associated Press

Pride becomes a minefield for big companies, but many continue their support

Many big companies, including Target and Bud Light's parent, are still backing Pride events in June despite the minefield that the monthlong celebration has become for some of them.

4 days ago

FILE - Then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden plays music on a phone as he arrives to spe...

Associated Press

Biden, looking to shore up Hispanic support, faces pressure to get 2024 outreach details right

Joe Biden vowed in 2020 to work “like the devil” to energize Hispanic voters, and flew to Florida seven weeks before Election Day to do just that.

4 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

re:vitalize

Why drug-free weight loss still matters

Wanting to lose weight is a common goal for many people as they progress throughout life, but choosing between a holistic approach or to take medicine can be a tough decision.

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

How to identify the symptoms of 3 common anxiety disorders

Living with an anxiety disorder can be debilitating and cause significant stress for those who suffer from the condition.

(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

Here’s what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.

AP PHOTOS: Despair and poverty fuel drug use in Afghanistan