Opium production in Afghanistan has plummeted since the Taliban banned cultivation of the poppy plant, according to a UN report published on Sunday.

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers pledged to wipe out the country’s drug industry, banning poppy cultivation in April 2022.

Poppy plants are the source of opium and heroin. Afghanistan was the world’s biggest opium producer and a major source for heroin in Europe and Asia before the Taliban takeover.

  • Nacktmull@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Drugs are medicine. The fact that drugs can be abused does not make them something bad in general. For many pain patients around the world opioids are simply a necessity.

    The loss of income many afghan farmers will suffer from losing their most important cash crop will be significant. Add the fact that economically, Afghanistan is already a poor country. Obviously no more poppy farming will make people´s lives even worse.

    • Cinner@lemmy.worldB
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      1 year ago

      Lack of opium poppies being grown just means more synthetic fentanyl being produced. It doesn’t do a thing to hinder drug use by those who need it/seek it out.

      • datelmd5sum@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        It’s also going to raise prices for opiate based pharmaceuticals like morphine and it’s also going to raise prices for opioid pharmaceuticals because it’s people in great pain that’ll have to endure the cost.

      • Nacktmull@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        It doesn’t do a thing to hinder drug use by those who need it/seek it out.

        I never implied it would …

        • Cinner@lemmy.worldB
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          1 year ago

          I was either adding on to your comment or meant to reply to someone else, don’t remember, but wasn’t debating.