• Olivier Maguet and Murtaza Majeed.
• Médecins du Monde Harm Reduction Programme Responsible in Kabul, Afghanistan. omaguet@ccmoconseil.com
• Int. J. Drug Policy. 2010 Mar 1;21(2):119-21.

AbstractAfghanistan has suffered decades of war, occupation and unrest. It is also the world's greatest producer of opium and drug production and trafficking account for a third of the total Afghan economy. Currently alongside the "War on Terrorism", the control and eradication of opium production and related trafficking is a main concern of the international community. However, this focus on supply reduction has meant scant attention has been paid to increasing drug use problems within the country; it is estimated there are up to 25,000 opium users and 20,000 heroin users in Kabul city. Drug use is often a response to war, poverty and under-development, however, street opium and heroin manufactured in the country are widely available, affordable and of high purity. This paper documents the efforts of non-governmental organisations to promote and develop harm reduction and treatment services for problem drug users in Afghanistan in this difficult context.Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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