KABUL (Pajhwok): More and more people, particularly young men, are becoming drug addicts due to abject poverty and increasing unemployment in central Panjsher people, residents complained on Wednesday.
Parvaiz Joya, a resident of Bahadur Khel district, told Pajhwok News that the number of inviduals addicted to drugs had lately increased in their area.
“Unemployment is the main reason. Youth see a bleak future for themselves, a situation that drove them to drug addiction,” said Joya, who urged the government to tackle the issue by creating jobs and taking steps for treatment of addicts.
Ahmad Wali, who lives in Anaba district, said a majroty of the addicts were returnees from Iran. The addicts persuaded others to use drugs.
The provincail anti-drug police chief, Wahidullah Karimi, said drug addicts were found in Anaba, Rokha and Khenj districts. However, he said there were more drug addicts in other provinces than Panjsher.
He added police were after drug smugglers and they had arrested 16 people with more than 100 kgs of hashish this year.
Panjsher is not among 16 provinces, where popy is cultivated. Afghanistan is home to about 1.6 million drug addicts.
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