drugs in afghanistan

7/27/2019 drugs in afghanistan

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EcosocAgenda 1. Combating the Production and Trafficking of Drugs in AfghanistanAgenda 2. Effective Use and Distribution of Food Resources1:2 democratic republic of afghanistan

The government of Afghanistan claims that the country holds up to $3 trillion in proven untapped mineral deposits,

which could make it one of the richest mining regions on earth.[8]

However, due to the conflicts, it remains one of

the least developed countries in the world, ranking 175th on the United Nations' Human Development Index.[9]The

nation'sGDP stands at about $34 billion[10]

with an exchange rate of $19.85 billion, and theGDP per capitais

about $1,150.[1 ]

About 35% of itspopulationis unemployed[11]and 36% live below the nationalpoverty line,[12] suffering from shortages of housing, clean drinking water, and electricity. TheKarzai administration along with

international donors have remained committed to improving access to these basic necessities by prioritizing

infrastructure development, education, housing development, jobs programs, medical care, and economic reform.

Rank 91st

Currency Afghani(AFN)

Fiscal year 21 March - 20 March

Trade

organizations

SAARC,ECO, negotiatingSCOandWTO accession

Statistics

GDP $33.55 billion (2012 est.)

GDP growth 11% (2012 est.)

GDP per capita $1,000 (2011)[1]

GDP by sector agriculture: 20%industry: 25.6%services: 54.4% (2011 est.)

Inflation(CPI) 13.8% (2011 est.)

Population

belowpoverty

line

36% (2009)

Labor force 15 million (2004)

Labor force

by occupation

agriculture 78.6%, industry 5.7%, services 15.7% (2009)

Unemployment 35% (2008)
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Main industries small-scale production

oftextiles,soap,furniture,shoes,fertilizer,apparel,food-products,non-

alcoholic beverages,mineral water,cement;handwoven carpets;natural

gas,coal,copper

Ease of Doing

Business Rank

160th[2]

External

Exports $376 million (2012 est.)

Export goods opium,fruits and nuts,Afghan rugs,wool,cotton,hides and pelts,

andgemstone

Main export

partners

Pakistan33.1%

India 24.9%

Tajikistan8.7%

United States5.8% (2012 est.) [3]

Imports $6.39 billion (2012 est.)

Import goods machinery and othercapital goods,food,textilesandpetroleumproducts

Main import

partners

Pakistan25.8%

United States17.4%

Russia8.4%

India 5.5%

China5.4%

Kazakhstan4.5%

Germany4.3% (2012 est.)[4]

Public finances

Public debt $1.28 billion (FY10/11)

Revenues $1.58 billion
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ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machineryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_goodshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textileshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazakhstanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_public_debt


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Expenses $50.000 billion

Main data source: CIA World Fact Book

All values, unless otherwise stated, are inUS dollars

Early policyAfghan commerce was centrally controlled by the Afghan government. The Afghan monarchs were eager todevelop the stature of government and the country's military capability, and so attempted to raise money by theimposition of state monopolies on the sale of commodoties and high taxes. This slowed the long-term developmentof Afghanistan during that period. Western techonogies and manufacturing methods were slowly introduced duringthese eras at the command of the Afghan ruler, but in general only according to the logistical requirements of thegrowing army. An emphasis was placed on the manufacture of weapons and other military materiel. This processwas in the hands of a small number of western experts invited to Kabul by the Afghan kings. Otherwise, it was notpossible for outsiders, particularly westerners, to set up large-scale enterprises in Afghanistan during that period.

And so..The first prominent plan to develop Afghanistan's economy in modern times was theHelmand Valley

Authorityproject, modelled on the Tennessee Valley Authorityin theUnited States, which was expected to be of

primary economic importance.[14]

The country began facing severe economic hardships during the 1970s whenneighboring Pakistan, underZulfikar Ali Bhutto, began closing the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossings. Thismove resulted in Afghanistan increasing political and economic ties with its northern neighbor, the powerfulSovietUnionof that time

The 1979Soviet invasionand ensuingcivil wardestroyed much of the country's limited infrastructure, and

disrupted normal patterns of economic activity (SeeDemocratic Republic of Afghanistan#Economy). Eventually,

Afghanistan went from a traditional economyto a centrallyplanned economyup until 2002 when it was replaced by

a free market economy.[15]Gross domestic product has fallen substantially since the 1980s due to disruption of

trade and transport as well as loss of labor and capital. Continuing internal strife severely hampered domestic

efforts to rebuild the nation or provide ways for the international community to help.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the Afghan economy grew 20% in thefiscal yearending in March

2004, after expanding 30% in the previous 12 months. The growth is attributed to international aid and to the end

ofdroughts. An estimated $4.4 billion of aid entered the nation from 2002 to 2004. A GDP of $4 billion in fiscal year2003 was recalculated by the IMF to $6.1 billion, after adding proceeds fromopiumproducts. Mean graduate pay

was $0.56 per manhour in 2010.

FruitsAgricultureproduction is constrained by an almost total dependence on erratic winter snows and spring rains forwater. As of 2007, the country'sfruitandnut exports were at $113 million per year, but according to an estimatecould grow to more than $800 million per year in 10 years given sufficient investment. Afghanistan is known forproducing some of the finest fruits, especially pomegranates,apricots,grapes,melons, andmullberry. Severalprovinces in the north of the country (i.e. BadghisandSamangan) are famous forpistachiocultivation but the areacurrently lacks proper marketing and processing plants. It is claimed that some Indian companies buy Afghanpistachios for a very low price, process them inIndia and sell to western countries as Indian products. However,the Afghan government is planning to build storage facilities for pistachios since receiving bumper crops in 2010.[16]

The Bamyan Provincein central Afghanistan is known for growing superiorpotatoes, which on an averageproduces 140,000 to 170,000 tonnes

The current trade between Afghanistan and other countries is at US$5 billion a year. In 1996, legal exports(excluding opium) were estimated at $80 million and imports estimated at $150 million per year. Since the collapseof the Taliban government in 2001, new trade relations are emerging with the United States, Pakistan, Iran,Turkmenistan, the EU, Japan, Uzbekistan, India and other countries. Trade between Afghanistan and the U.S. is

beginning to grow at a fast pace, reaching up to approximately $500 million per year.[24]

Afghan handwooven

rugsare one of the most popular products exported from the country. Other products include hand crafted antiquereplicas as well as leather and fur.

The current trade between Afghanistan and other countries is at US$5 billion a year. In 1996, legal exports

(excluding opium) were estimated at $80 million and imports estimated at $150 million per year. Since the collapse
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of the Taliban government in 2001, new trade relations are emerging with the United States, Pakistan, Iran,

Turkmenistan, the EU, Japan, Uzbekistan, India and other countries. Trade between Afghanistan and the U.S. is

beginning to grow at a fast pace, reaching up to approximately $500 million per year.[24]Afghan handwooven

rugsare one of the most popular products exported from the country. Other products include hand crafted antique

replicas as well as leather and furs.

Afghanistan is endowed with a wealth of natural resources, including extensive deposits ofnaturalgas,petroleum,coal,marble,gold, copper,chromite, talc,barites, sulfur,lead,zinc,iron ore,salt, precious and

semi-precious stones, and many rare earth elements.[25] In 2006, a U.S. Geological Survey estimated that

Afghanistan has as much as 36 trillion cubic feet (1.01012 m3) of natural gas, 3.6 billion barrels (570106 m3) of oil

and condensate reserves.[26] According to a 2007 assessment, Afghanistan has significant amounts of

undiscovered non-fuel mineral resources. Geologists also found indications of abundant deposits of colored stones

and gemstones, including emerald,ruby,sapphire, garnet,lapis, kunzite,spinel,tourmalineandperidot.[27] In 2010,

U.S. Pentagonofficials along with American geologists have revealed the discovery of nearly $1 trillion in untapped

mineral deposits in Afghanistan.[28][29] A memo from the Pentagon stated that Afghanistan could become the "Saudi

Arabia oflithium".[30]Some believe, including Afghan PresidentHamid Karzai, that the untapped minerals are worth

at least $3 trillion. [31][32][33]Another US Geological Survey estimate from September 2011 showed that the

Khanashin carbonatites in theHelmand Province of the country have an estimated 1 million metric tonnes ofrare

earth elements. Regina Dubey, Acting Director for the Department of Defence Task Force for Business andStability Operations (TFBSO) stated that "this is just one more piece of evidence that Afghanistan's mineral sector

has a bright future.

rade in goods smuggled into Pakistan once constituted a major source of revenue for Afghanistan. Many of the

goods that were smuggled into Pakistan have originally entered Afghanistan from Pakistan, where they fell under

theAfghan Trade and Transit Agreement(ATTA). This permitted goods bound for Afghanistan to transit through

Pakistan free ofduty. This resulted in considerable problems for the Pakistani government, particularly its customs

bureau who realized that many of the items being resold on theblack marketin Pakistan were the very same items

being allowed duty free exemption from Pakistani ports (mainlyKarachi) on their way to Afghanistan. When

Pakistan clamped down in 2003 on the types of goods permitted duty-free transit, and introducing stringent

measures and labels to prevent such practices, re-routing of goods through Iran from thePersian Gulfincreased

significantly. The pre-2003 smuggling trade provided undocumented jobs to tens of thousands of Afghans and

Pakistanis, but also helped fuel the blackeconomy, often intertwined with the drug cartels, of both countries.Afghanistan and Pakistan recently signed into law a newAfghan-Pak Trade and Transit Agreement(APTTA),

which allows their shipping trucksto transit goods within both nations. This revised US-sponsored APTTA

agreement also allows Afghan trucks to transport exports to India via Pakistan through theWagahcrossing point.[43][44]

According to Afghanistan's Chamber of Commerce and Industries deputy head, Khan Jan Alokozai, about

500shipping containersof trade goods enter Afghanistan via theTorkhamandWesh-Chaman border crossingson

a daily basis.[45]

Other major trade routes in Afghanistan are via the crossing borders inZaranj,Islam

Qala, Hairatan,Shir Khan Bandar, and Towraghondi.

Afghanistan is a member ofSAARC, ECO,OIC, and has an observer status in the Shanghai Cooperation

Organization(SCO). It seeks to complete the so-called New Silk Roadtrade project, which is aimed to connecting

South Asia with Central Asia and the Middle East. This way Afghanistan will be able to collect large fees from trade

passing through the country, including from the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline. Foreign MinisterZalmai

Rassoulstated that his nation's "goal is to achieve an Afghan economy whose growth is based on trade, private

enterprise and investment". Experts believe that this will revolutionize the economy of the region.

In 2006, PresidentHamid Karzaiestablished an independent board for the development of Kabul New City. The

board brought together key stakeholders, including relevant government agencies, representation from private

sector, urban specialists and economists, with cooperation from the government ofJapanand French private

sector, to prepare a master plan for the city in the context of Greater Kabul. The master plan and its

implementation strategy for 2025 were endorsed by the Afghan Cabinet in early 2009. The initiative turned into one
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i/Islam_Qalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_Qalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hairatanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shir_Khan_Bandarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shir_Khan_Bandarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shir_Khan_Bandarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towraghondihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asian_Association_for_Regional_Cooperationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_Cooperation_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_Cooperation_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_OIChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Cooperation_Organisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Cooperation_Organisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Cooperation_Organisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Roadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Roadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Afghanistan_Pipelinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalmai_Rassoulhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalmai_Rassoulhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalmai_Rassoulhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamid_Karzaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamid_Karzaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamid_Karzaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-24http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_rughttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_rughttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marblehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copperhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talchttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bariteshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinchttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_orehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_earth_elementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-e-Ariana-25http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-Eurasianet-26http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emeraldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garnethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunzitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourmalinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peridothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-27http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pentagonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-NYT-28http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithiumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-30http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamid_Karzaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-31http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-32http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-33http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmand_Provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_earth_elementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_earth_elementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duty_(economics)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_markethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karachihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gulfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truckhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-43http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-44http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermodal_containerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torkhamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesh-Chaman_border_crossinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Afghanistan#cite_note-45http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaranjhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_Qalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_Qalahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hairatanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shir_Khan_Bandarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towraghondihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asian_Association_for_Regional_Cooperationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_Cooperation_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_OIChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Cooperation_Organisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Cooperation_Organisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Roadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Afghanistan_Pipelinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalmai_Rassoulhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalmai_Rassoulhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamid_Karzaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan


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of the biggest commercially viable national development project of the country, expected to be led by the private

sector.[49]

As part of an attempt to modernize the city and boost the economy, a number of new high rise buildings are under

construction by various developers.[50]An initial concept design called theCity of Light Development, envisioned

byHisham N. Ashkouri, for the development and the implementation of a privately based investment enterprise

was proposed for a multi-function commercial, historic and cultural development within the limits of the Old City ofKabul, along the southern side of the Kabul Riverand along Jade Meywand Avenue. Some of the national

development projects include the $35 bn New Kabul Citynext to the capital, the Ghazi Amanullah Khan Cityeast

ofJalalabad, and theAino Mena in Kandahar.[51][52] Similar development projects are also taking place in Heratin

the west,Mazar-e-Sharifin the north and in other cities.

Source: world fact book

GDP: purchasing power parity $33.55 billion, with an exchange rate at $19.85 billion (2011 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

11% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2011 est.)[1]

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 20%

industry: 25.6%

services: 54.4%

note: data excludes opium production

Population below poverty line:

36% (2009)

Household income or consumption by percentage share :

lowest 10%: 3.8%

highest 10%: 24%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13.8% (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

Labor force: 15 million (2004)


Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 78.6%, industry 5.7%, services 15.7% (2009)

Unemployment rate: 35% (2009)


Budget:

revenues: $1.58 billion

expenditures: $3.3 billion
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Industries: small-scale production oftextiles, soap,furniture,shoes,fertilizer, apparel, food-products,non-

alcoholic beverages, mineral water,cement;handwoven carpets;natural gas,coal,copper

Electricity- production: 913.1 million kWh (2009 est.)


Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 23.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

hydro: 76.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 2.226 billion kWh (2009 est.)


Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - imports: 1.377 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Oil - production: 1,950 barrels per day (310 m3/d) (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 210

Oil - consumption: 4,229 barrels per day (672.4 m3/d) (2011 est.)


Oil - proved reserves: 1,600,000,000 barrels (250,000,000 m3) (2006)[26]

Natural gas - production: 220 million m (2001)

Natural gas - consumption: 220 million m (2001)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 15.7 trillion cubic feet (2006 est.)[26]

Agriculture - products: opium poppies, wheat, fruits,nuts,karakulpelts

Exports: $376 million (2012 est.)


Exports - commodities: opium, fruits and nuts,handwoven carpets, wool,cotton, hides and pelts, andgemstone

Exports - partners: Pakistan 48%, India 19%, Russia 9%, Iran 5% (FY11/12 est.)

Imports: $6.39 billion (2012 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products

Imports - partners: Pakistan 13.7%, Russia 12.6%, Uzbekistan 11.5%, Iran 9.1% (FY11/12 est.)

Debt - external: $1.28 to $2.3 billion total (2011)[57]

Russia - $987 million

Asian Development Bank - $ 596 million

World Bank - $435 million

International Monetary Fund - $114 million

Germany - $18 million

Saudi Development Fund - $47 million

Islamic Development Bank - $11 million

Bulgaria - $51 million
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Kuwait Development Fund - $22 million

Iran - $10 million

Opec - $1.8 million

Current account balance: -$743.9 million (2011 est.)


Currency:Afghani (AFN)

Exchange rates: afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - 50 = $1

46.75 (2011)

46.45 (2010)

Fiscal year: 21 March - 21 March

Drug info

Opium (poppy tears, lachryma papaveris) is the dried latexobtained from theopium poppy (Papaver somniferum).

Opium contains approximately 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically toproduce heroinfor theillegal drug trade. The latex also includes the alkaloidcodeine and its similarly structured

cousin thebaine. It also contains non-analgesicalkaloidssuch aspapaverineandnoscapine. The traditional, labor-

intensive, method of obtaining the latex is to scratch ("score") the immature seed pods (fruits) by hand; the latex

leaks out and dries to a sticky yellowish residue that is later scraped off, and dehydrated. The word "meconium"

(derived from the Greek for "opium-like", but now used to refer to infant stools) historically referred to related,

weaker preparations made from other parts of the poppy or different species of poppies.[1]

The production of opium itself has not changed since ancient times. Through selective breeding of the Papaver

somniferum plant, the content of the phenanthrenealkaloids morphine, codeine, and to a lesser extent thebaine,

has been greatly increased. In modern times, much of the thebaine, which often serves as the raw material for the

synthesis forhydrocodone,hydromorphone, and othersemi-syntheticopiates, originates from extracting Papaver

orientaleorPapaver bracteatum.

Opium for illegal use is often converted into heroin, which is less bulky, making it easier tosmuggle, and which

multiplies its potency to approximately twice that of morphine. Heroin can be taken orally, byintravenous

injection,intranasally, or smoked (vaporized) and inhaled.

Opium poppy plant

The poppy is the only species ofPapaveraceaethat is an agricultural crop grown on a large scale. Other

species,Papaver rhoeasandPapaver argemone, are important agricultural weeds, and may be mistaken for the

crop.

The plant itself is also valuable for ornamental purposes, and has been known as the "common garden poppy",

referencing all the group of poppy plants.

Poppy seeds ofPapaver somniferum are an important food item and the source ofpoppyseed oil, a healthy edible

oil that has many uses.

Use of the opium poppy predates written history. Images of opium poppies have been found in

ancient Sumerianartifacts (circa 4000 BC). The making and use of opium was known to the ancient Minoans.[5]Its

sap was later named opion by the ancientGreeks, from whence it gained its modern name ofopium.

Opium was used for treatingasthma, stomach illnesses, and bad eyesight. TheFirst and Second Opium

Wars among China, theBritish Empireand France took place in the late 1830s through the early 1860s, when the

Chinese attempted to stop western traders smuggling opium into their country.
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8/23

Many modern writers, particularly in the 19th century, have written on the opium poppy and its effects, notablyL.

Frank BauminThe Wonderful Wizard of Ozand Thomas de Quincey in Confessions of an English Opium Eater

The French Romantic composerHector Berliozused opium for inspiration, subsequently producing his Symphonie

Fantastique. In this work, a young artist overdoses on opium and experiences a series of visions of his unrequited

love.

Opium poppies (flower and fruit) appear on the coat of arms of the Royal College of Anaesthetists.

Legality[edit]

Opium poppy cultivation in the United Kingdom does not require a license, but extracting opium for

medicinal products does.[6]

In Italy, it is forbidden to grow P. somniferum to extract the alkaloids, but small numbers of specimens

can be grown without special permits for purely ornamental purposes. [citation needed]

In theUnited Arab Emirates, where the drug law is especially stern, at least one man was reported to

have been imprisoned for possessing poppy seeds obtained from a bread roll.[7]

InNew Zealand, section 9(4) of the Misuse of Drugs Act states, "It shall be a defence to a charge under

subsection (1) [Cultivation of prohibited plants]if the person charged proves that the prohibited plant to which

the charge relates was of the species Papaver somniferum, and that it was not intended to be a source of any

controlled drug or that it was not being developed as a strain from which a controlled drug could be

produced."[8]

In northernBurma,opiumbans have ended a century-old tradition of growing poppy. Between 20,000

and 30,000 ex-poppyfarmers left the Kokang region as a result of the ban in 2002. [9]People from

theWa region, where the ban was implemented in 2005, fled to areas where growing opium is still possible.

In the United States, opium is listed as a Schedule IIcontrolled substance by theDrug Enforcement

Administration. In addition, "Opium poppy and poppy straw" are also prohibited.[10] However, this is not

typically enforced for poppies grown or sold for ornamental or food purposes.[2]Though the opium poppy is

legal forculinary orstheticreasons, poppies were once grown as a cash crop by farmers in California; the

law of poppy cultivation in the United States is somewhat ambiguous.[11]The reason for the ambiguity is

because The Opium Poppy Control Act of 1942 (nowrepealed),[12][13][14] stated that any opium poppy should be

declared illegal, even if the farmers were issued a state permit.[15] 3 of The Opium Poppy Control Act stated:

It shall be unlawful for any person who is not the holder of a license authorizing him to produce the opium

poppy, duly issued to him by the Secretary of the Treasury in accordance with the provisions of this Act, to

produce the opium poppy, or to permit the production of the opium poppy in or upon any place owned,

occupied, used, or controlled by him.

This led to the Poppy Rebellion, and to the Narcotics Bureau arresting anyone planting opium poppies and

forcing the destruction of poppy fields of anyone who defiedthe prohibition of poppy cultivation.[16][17]Though

the press of those days favored theFederal Bureau of Narcotics, the state of California supported the farmers

who grew opium poppies for their seeds for uses in foods such aspoppyseed muffins. Today, this area of lawhas remained vague and remains somewhat controversial in the United States. [18] The Opium Poppy Control

Act of 1942 was repealed on 27 October of the year 1970.[19][20]

The seeds themselves contain very small amounts of opiates,[2]and have no measurable narcotic effect.

However, the television showMythBusters demonstrated that one could test positive for narcotics after

consuming four poppy seed bagels. On the showBrainiac: Science Abuse, subjects tested positive after

eating only two poppy seed bagels.
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9/23

In July 2000, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, collaborating with the United Nations to eradicate heroin

production in Afghanistan, declared that growing poppies was un-Islamic, resulting in one of the world's most

successful anti-drug campaigns. The Taliban enforced a ban on poppy farming via threats, forced eradication, and

public punishment of transgressors. The result was a 99% reduction in the area of opium poppy farming in Taliban-

controlled areas, roughly three quarters of the world's supply of heroin at the time. [14]The ban was effective only

briefly due to the deposition of the Taliban in 2002.

However, some people believe that certain parties benefited from the price increase during the ban. Some even

believe it was a form ofMarket manipulationon the part of certain drug lords. Dried opium, unlike most agricultural

products, can easily be stored for long periods without refrigeration or other expensive equipment. With huge

stashes of opium stored in secret hideaways. Taliban, and other groups became involved in the drug trade were in

theory able to make huge personal profits during the price spikes after the 2000 ban and the chaos following 9/11.[15][16]

Since 2008 the Taliban insurgency has been supporting farmers growing poppy as a source of income for

insurgent operations.

By November 2001, the collapse of the economy and the scarcity of other sources of revenue forced many of the

country's farmers to resort back to growing opium for export.(1,300 km in 2004 according to the United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime.)

Two of the following three growing seasons saw record levels of opium poppy cultivation. Corrupt officials may

have undermined the government's enforcement efforts. Afghan farmers claimed that "government officials take

bribes for turning a blind eye to the drug trade while punishing poor opium growers".[19]

Another obstacle to getting rid of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is the reluctant collaboration between US forces

and Afghan warlords in hunting drug traffickers. In the absence of Taliban, the warlords largely control the opium

trade but are also highly useful to the US forces in scouting, providing local intelligence, keeping their own

territories clean from Al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents, and even taking part in military operations.

While U.S. and allied efforts to combat the drug trade have been stepped up, the effort is hampered by the fact that

many suspected drug traffickers are now top officials in the Karzai government.[20]Estimates made in 2006 by the

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimate that 52% of the nation's GDP, amounting to $2.7

billion annually, is generated by the drug trade.[21]

The rise in production has been linked to the deterioratingsecurity situation, as production is markedly lower in areas with stable security. [22]By some, the extermination of

the poppy crops is not seen as a viable option because the sale of poppies constitutes the livelihood of

Afghanistan's rural farmers. Some 3.3 million Afghans are involved in producing opium.[23]Opium is more profitable

than wheat and destroying opium fields could possibly lead to discontent or unrest among the indigent population.[24]Some poppy eradication programs have, however, proven effective, especially in the north of Afghanistan.

The opium poppyeradication program ofBalkhGovernorUstad Atta Mohammad Noorbetween 2005 and 2007

successfully reduced poppy cultivation in Balkh Province from 7,200 hectares in 2005 to zero by 2007.[25]

Former U.S. State DepartmentPrincipal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and

Law Enforcement Affairs Thomas Schweich, in aNew York Timesarticle dated July 27, 2007, asserts that opium

production is protected by the government ofHamid Karzaias well as by the Taliban, as all parties to political

conflict in Afghanistan as well as criminals benefit from opium production, and, in Schweich's opinion, the U.S.

military turns a blind eye to opium production as not being central to its anti-terrorism mission.[26][27]In March 2010,

NATO rejected Russian proposals for Afghan poppy spraying, citing concerns over income of Afghan people.[28] There have also been allegations of American and European involvement in Afghanistan's drug trafficking with

links toTaliban.[29]

On October 28, 2010 agents of Russias Federal Service for the Control of Narcotics joined Afghan and American

antidrug forces in an operation to destroy a major drug production site nearJalalabad. In the operation 932 kg

(2,055 lb) of high quality heroin and 156 kg (345 lb) of opium, with a street value of US$ 250 million, and a large

amount of technical equipment was destroyed. This was the first anti-drug operation to include Russian agents.
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10/23

According toViktor Ivanov, Director of Russias Federal Service for the Control of Narcotics, this marks an

advance in relations between Moscow and Washington. Afghan PresidentHamid Karzaicalled the operation a

violation of Afghan sovereignty and international law.

Approximately 40,000 foreign troops help manage security in Afghanistan, principally of 32,000 regular soldiers

from 37North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) forces: theInternational Security Assistance Force. 8,000 US

and other special operations forces make up the balance. There is significant resistance, both from theideological/theocratic Taliban, especially in southern Afghanistan, and also independent local warlords and drug

organizations.Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and

Crime(UNODC), described the situation this way: "There is no rule of law in most of the southern parts of

Afghanistanthe bullets rule."

The following areas of Afghanistan play a role in the drug traffic:

Production

"Southern region" ofHelmandandKandaharprovinces, on the border with Pakistan, which are

the highest-volume areas for drug transactions. There is a traditional route from Helmand, through

Pakistan, to Iran

Smuggling

Herat, in Herat Province, the Northern Alliance stronghold, which borders Iran

Faizabad, in Badakhshan province, which has borders with Tajikstan, Pakistan, andChina.

According to EU agencies, Afghanistan has been Europes main heroin supplier for more than 10 years.[32] Heroin

enters Europe primarily by two major land routes: the long-standing Balkan route through Turkey; and, since the

mid-1990s, the northern route, which leaves northern Afghanistan through Central Asia and on to Russia (and is

sometimes colloquially referred to as the silk route). Estimated number of problem opioids users in EU: 1.5 million

(1.31.7 million), average prevalence between 4 and 5 cases per 1,000 adult population (aged 1564). [32]In 2005

there were around 7,000 acute drug deaths, with opioids being found in around 70% of them. [32]There was a

minimum of 49,000 seizures resulting in the interception of an estimated 19.4 tonnes of heroin. Countries reporting

the largest number of seizures (descending order): UK (2005), Spain, Germany, Greece, France. Countries

reporting the largest quantities of heroin seized in 2005 (descending order): Turkey, UK, Italy, France, the

Netherlands.[32]

Presently with the resurgence of high output production of opium and heroin in post-Taliban Afghanistan, there is

an ongoing heroin addiction epidemic in Russia which is claiming 30,000 lives each year, mostly among young

people. There were two and half million heroin addicts in Russia by 2009

Conclusion

The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) has proposed legalizing opium production for

medical purposes. Opium can be manufactured into codeineandmorphine, both legal pain-killers. The reason for

their proposal is that it will not only solve the problem of illicit opium production in Afghanistan, but will also lower

the price of prescription drugs worldwide, thus making healthcare more affordable for those requiring those drugs

Others have argued that legalizing opium production would neither solve the problem nor would it be workable in

practice. They argue that illegal diversion of the crop could only be minimized if the Afghans had the necessary

resources, institutional capacity and control mechanisms in place to ensure that they were the sole purchaser of

opiate raw materials. For them, there is currently no infrastructure in place to set up and administer such a

scheme. They reason that in the absence of an effective control system, traffickers would be free to continue to

exploit the market and there would be a high risk that licit cultivation would be used for illegal purposes and that

the Afghan government would be in direct competition with the traffickers, thereby driving up the price of opium,
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and attracting more farmers to cultivate. The Afghan government has ruled out licit cultivation as a means of

tackling the illegal drug trade: however in Turkey in the 1970s, legalizing opium production, with US support

brought illicit trafficking under control within four years. Afghan villages have strong local control systems based

around the villageshura, which with the support of the Afghan government and its international allies, could

provide the basis for an effective control system. This idea is developed in the recentSenlis Council report "Poppy

for Medicine"[34]which proposes a technical model for the implementation of poppy licensing and the legal control of

cultivation and production of Afghan morphine.

Some believe that there is also little evidence to show that Afghan opium would be economically competitive in a

global market place. Australia, France, India, Spain, and Turkey currently dominate the export market for licit

opiates. Due to the high cost of production in countries where cultivation is undertaken on small landholdings, such

as India and Turkey, licit production requires market support (the production costs for the equivalent of 1 kg of

morphine in 1999 was US$56 in Australia, US$159.77 in India and US$250 in Turkey). The current cost of

production of one kilogram of morphine equivalent in Afghanistan is approximately US$450[citation needed]. However, a

poppy for medicine project inAfghanistan could provide a cheap pain relief option for pain sufferers who find

morphine prices extremely elevated.

The 2004United Nations Development Programmeranked Afghanistan number 173 of 177 countries, using a

human development index, with Afghanistan near or at the bottom of virtually every development indicator

including nutrition, infant mortality, life expectancy, and literacy. Several factors encourage opium production, thegreatest being economic: the high rate of return on investment from opium poppy cultivation has driven an

agricultural shift in Afghanistan from growing traditional crops to growing opium poppy.

Opium cultivation on this scale is not traditional, and in the area controlled by theHelmand Valley Authorityin the

1950s the crop was largely suppressed.[38]

"Despite the fact that only 12 percent of its land is arable, agriculture is a way of life for 70 percent of Afghans and

is the country's primary source of income. During good years, Afghanistan produced enough food to feed its

people as well as supply a surplus for export. Its traditional agricultural products include wheat, corn, barley, rice,

cotton, fruit, nuts, and grapes. However, its agricultural economy has suffered considerably [] Afghanistan's

largest and fastest cash crop is opium."[18]

Poppy Cultivation and the Opium Trade have been said to have had a more significant impact on the civilians in

Afghanistan than the impact of wheat farming and livestock trading. As farmers in Afghanistan were once heavily

reliant on wheat farming to make sufficient income, the development of poppy cultivation has given many of these

farmers a boost in capital, even though the Opium Trade may be a more dangerous product to distribute. In

addition, as the demand for Opium has elevated, women have more opportunity to work in the same setting as

their male counterpart.[39]

Afghanistan's rugged terrain encourages local autonomy, which, in some cases, means local leadership committed

to an opium economy. The terrain makes surveillance and enforcement difficult.

Afghanistan's economy has thus evolved to the point where it is now highly dependent on opium. Although less

than 4 percent of arable land in Afghanistan was used for opium poppy cultivation in 2006, revenue from the

harvest brought in over $3 billionmore than 35 percent of the country's total gross national product (GNP).

According to Antonio Costa, "Opium poppy cultivation, processing, and transport have become Afghanistan's top

employers, its main source of capital, and the principal base of its economy." Today, a record 2.9 million Afghanis

from 28 of 34 provinces are involved in opium cultivation in some way, which represents nearly 10 percent of the

population. Although Afghanistan's overall economy is being boosted by opium profits, less than 20 percent of the

$3 billion in opium profits actually goes to impoverished farmers, while more than 80 percent goes into the pockets
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of Afghan's opium traffickers and kingpins and their political connections. Even heftier profits are generated outside

of Afghanistan by international drug trafficker

drugs in afghanistan

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