Minister of Counter Narcotics (MoCN) Salamat Azimi said on Sunday at a conference in Kabul that more effort is needed to fight drug addiction in the country.
 
According to Azimi, this year, the ministry plans to help rehabilitate between 40,000 and 50,000 addicts but in order to do this, more money is needed.
 
“It is a big problem and more effort needs to be made. Everyone should feel responsible and help fight the phenomenon so we can solve the problem,” she said.
 
The counter narcotics department at the Ministry of Interior said they have detained more than 300 drug dealers in Kabul city in the past two weeks.
 
“In the last 10 months, more than 630 tons of drugs have been seized by police in the country and more than 160 smugglers arrested,” Mirza Mohammad Yusufi, head of the intelligence department of counter narcotics at MoI said.
 
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) meanwhile said treatment of addicts is a complicated matter especially as the number increases daily.
 
“Every week addicts are in danger because of the cold weather, and are often taken to hospital,” said Abdul Manan Azad Manish, head of the drug reduction department at the MoPH.
 
“They spend three months in hospital and after that they learn different professions. But the issue of finding work is very important,” said Ali Eftekhari, director of Omid Vocational and Training Center.
 
Reports indicate that there are three million addicts in Afghanistan and only 110 rehabilitation centers cater to them.