Afghanistan

A ten year-old child should not be able to describe how painful it is to withdrawal from heroin. A father should not be able to (or choose to) sell his child brides for heroin. It is 2019 for God's sake and this crap should not be happening.

As devastating as Sam's heroin addiction has been to our entire family, he is one and we are many. He falls and we surround him and pick him back up. We are his parents, siblings, extended family, and friends. Many addicts don't have the village of support that he has.

Afghanistan produces more opium than any other country in the world. Addiction rates are soaring. It's not uncommon for entire families to be addicted to heroin. Parents, their children, and sometimes their extended families too. The lack of resources, poverty, and living in a region with extreme conflict plays a significant role as well.

There, heroin is produced locally, easy to get, and powerful enough to trap entire generations of families in its lair.

I watch my own son, who has everything to live for, struggle so deeply and I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for those who don't necessarily believe they have a reason to quit using heroin. It is despair piled on top of hopelessness.

The United States has poured billions upon billions in funding towards various resources to thwart the opioid epidemic. From large scale stings to bust dealing operations, local and coming in from abroad, to treatment resources, education, and family support.

Afghanistan has none of these things. It is a war and heroin ridden region. It is a country being swallowed up in the despair of opioid addiction. The author of this article suggests that opioids will eventually pull the whole country down. I agree. I have seen the wrath.

https://www.wutc.org/post/women-and-children-are-emerging-face-drug-addiction-afghanistan