Opium has taken over the lives of many Afghans including the old and young. Since many farms have transitioned from traditional crops to poppy fields, many Afghans have become addicted to the narcotic. Families are starving because no eatable crops are being grown and the families spend their money on more opium. Some families know that the addiction is hurting their families and hope their children do not follow in their footsteps. Even though some Afghans know they are doing wrong, the Taliban still has its hold on the citizens.
Afghanistan is the largest opium producer in the world and provides heroin to many parts of the world. Afghanistan, being one of the least developed countries on earth, has turned to opium to generate money instead of traditional crops. In the last ten years there has been a substantial rise in poppy cultivation instead of traditional crops causing many people in Afghanistan to go hungry. Afghanistan primarily sells and trades their narcotics to Europe, Russia, and the United States. Not long ago Russia claimed that the U.S. was in control of the opium fields in Afghanistan and blamed us for the narcotics in their country. Opium addiction in Russia is the cause of the deaths of 30,000 people each year. By 2009 there were two and half million heroin addicts in Russia.
The income produced from opium and heroin trade goes to the Taliban, which supports terrorist attacks on the West. Many efforts are being put forth to destroy poppy fields causing a lot of tension between police and Taliban members. Many Afghans have lost their lives trying to destroy poppy fields as a small war wages over these fields. Until these fields are destroyed the Taliban will continue using profits to commit terrorist acts and families will be torn apart from drug addiction.
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