(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News) NEILI (Pajhwok): Around 30 percent of the total drug addicts in central Daikundi province are women, say public health officials, expressing deep concern over the increasing drug addiction prevalence.
Ishaq Ali Darman, the provincial Public Health Department Director, told Pajhwok Afghan News that 70,000 persons, including 30 percent of them women, were addicted to drugs in the province.
He said 80 percent of the drug addicts consumed opium and while 20 percent consumed heroin.
Looking at the growing number of female drug addicts, he said a new rehabilitation for women would be constructed in Neili at a cost of over 10 million afghanis. He said the facility would help treat 200 women drug addicts annually.
Zakia Rezae, the Women€™s Affairs Director, expressed her worries over the growing addiction among women and asked the government to pay attention to the issue.
She said the newly constructed 10-bed clinic was a positive step in rehabilitation of drug addicted women and added the facility did not have the capacity to treat all addicted women. She said most of the drug addicted women were in the Meramour district.
Most of the drug addicted women when asked termed poverty, family violence, addiction of men and easy access to drug as reasons behind growing addiction.
Ruqia, not a real name, said she slipped into addition seven years back when her family members grew poppy and her husband was consuming the illicit substance.
She said the addiction of her husband to drugs increased her interest in consuming the drug but she was unaware of the consequences.
Aqela, another addicted woman, said: €œSmugglers from Ghazni, Helmand and Uruzgan provinces bring the drugs and sell them to addicts in Daikundi.€
Ghairat Ali Jawaheri, a member of the provincial council, said there was need for a joint campaign to eradicate drugs.
He said despite being poppy-free province, the addiction to drug was on the rise in Daikundi. He asked security forces to act against drug suppliers and deal with them according to the law.
Mehrullah Naseri, director of the anti-narcotics department, said efforts were being made to arrest drug smugglers and halt the supply of illicit substance. He said 50 drug smugglers had been arrested during the ongoing year and handed over to the authorities concerned for investigation.
It is worth mentioning that a 200-bed is currently active in Daikundi for rehabilitation of addicted persons.
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