Sunday, July 26, 2015
Kabul (BNA) The Ministry of Counternarcotic is all set to launch an anti-drug campaign spotlighting harmful effects of drugs in 12 provinces of the country, an official announced on the other day.
Mohammad Hanif Danishyar, public relation officer of the ministry, said campaign would be conducted in Helmand, Kandahar, Farah, Uruzgan, Daikundi, Badakhshan, Balkh, Baghlan, Kunar, Nangarhar, Badghis and Kabul provinces.
He said more than 200,000 stationery and pamphlets with anti-drug messages would be distributed to residents of the 12 provinces. The idea is to educate the people on the injurious effects of taking drugs.
The official said the anti-drug campaign would continue for five months, during which important information would be shared with media outlets as well. The move will help promote awareness among the masses.
According to Danishyar, the minister of counternarcotic has recently held meetings with representatives of foreign countries on ways of countering the growing use and smuggling of illicit drugs.
The minister hoped efforts of the Afghan government for the elimination of drugs would help save other countries from using drugs.
According to a survey conducted by the ministry and the United Nation Office for Drug and Crime (UNODC) poppy was cultivated in Afghanistan on 224,000 hectares in 2014, compared with 209, 000 hectares in 2013.
Currently, Afghanistan is producing 90 percent of the world opium, says the survey, which also shows 17 percent increase in opium production in the impoverished country.
