The number of drug addicts is increasing without a check or any effective program by the government to stop it. More than 70,000 drug addicts are only in Heart. Being a bordering province with Iran, Heart has large number of drug addicts because most of them are the Afghan refugee returnees. Afghanistan produces about 90 percent of the world poppy production. The number of drug addicts in the country is based on estimations and not clear. Though overall statistics is not as terrible as from Herat, however it reflects the severity of the situation.

The Government has no efficient program for drug addicts. For instance, there is only one hospital of 150-bed for over 70,000 drug addicts in Herat. This shows how ignorant the Government has been to this issue. There must have been strict checking and rehabilitation centers in Herat for all the returnees.

The one very severe negative impact of Afghan refuge in Iran has been the mounting number of drug addicts across the country, beside the spread of HIV AIDS and prostitution. The concerned quarters of the Government ministries should have serious attention towards this plague. With only one hospital for such a big number of drug addicts, the situation is getting more serious and deadly.

These drug addicts spread across the country. With easy availability of all kinds of drugs in cheap prices, they not only continue with this life-ending addiction, but also spread use of drugs among their circle of influence, friends and contacts. In the political scene, there has been only rhetoric, the war on opium, but the fight against drug addiction has been totally ignored.

And the number of addicts increases every year with higher percentages. The Government should pay attention to this and put more resources. But indeed the Government alone has not the capacity and resources to fight against the drug addiction.

International anti-drug and aid organizations should focus this issue in their programs, particularly in the Afghan provinces bordering with Iran. Media has to highlight this severe issue, not only in news coverage to show where and how severe the situation is, but also it should help increase public awareness about it.