Residents of Nangarhar and Laghman provinces report that drug addiction has increased since the Taliban took control. They attribute the rise in addiction to widespread unemployment, the dismissal of government employees, and the forced retirement of former military personnel. Despite the Taliban’s ongoing claims of rounding up and treating drug addicts, locals in Nangarhar and Laghman consider these efforts short-term and superficial.
Several residents of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, note a significant increase in drug addicts throughout the city. They express serious concern about the impact on the community and the environment. They also point out that drug trafficking and sales have become more prevalent than ever, contributing to the daily rise in the number of addicts.
Hedayatullah, a resident of Jalalabad, blames the Taliban for the increase in drug addiction. He argues that the Taliban’s misguided policies and deception have exacerbated people’s problems, leading to a daily increase in the number of addicts. He states, “During the previous government, there were a few addicts in the outskirts of Jalalabad, but since the Taliban took power, their numbers have surged. This is because people are unemployed, unable to secure jobs in government or private sectors, and drugs are easily accessible.”
Hedayatullah emphasizes that under Taliban rule, the families of addicts are forced to beg on the streets of Jalalabad, with their numbers growing daily.
Khair Ul Rahman, another resident of Jalalabad, is worried that if the Taliban’s rule continues and job opportunities are not provided, the number of beggars and addicts will continue to rise sharply.
In an interview with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, this Nangarhar resident explains, “I know many families whose breadwinners had jobs in the previous regime and lived normal lives. But when the Taliban came, they were left unemployed, leading their children and wives to beg. Every day, the number of addicts and beggars increases.”
Similarly, residents of Mehtarlam, the capital of Laghman province, complain that drug addiction has risen since the Taliban’s takeover, becoming a significant problem for the city’s inhabitants.
Shopkeepers in Mehtarlam call on the Taliban to create job opportunities and launch a genuine and extensive campaign to collect and treat drug addicts. They mention that the Taliban initiated a campaign to collect addicts in their first year of power, but it was merely for show and used as propaganda.
Islamuddin Alkozai, a shopkeeper in Mehtarlam, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily, “There are so many drug addicts in the city that we cannot leave our goods outside the shop; they steal them in a blink. The Taliban must collect and treat these addicts and then provide them with job opportunities.”
Previously, Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had declared a ban on the cultivation, sale, and trafficking of drugs. However, drugs are still openly bought and sold in some parts of Afghanistan. Many residents accuse Taliban officials in urban areas of being involved in the distribution and sale of drugs.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
موج بیکاری گسترده و دام اعتیاد در ولایتهای ننگرهار و لغمان | روزنامه ۸صبح
