"Opium is nothing new to our villages or districts. It's an old tradition, something of a religion in some areas," said Dr. Mohamed Daoud Rated, coordinator of the center.
"People use opium as drugs or medicine. If a child cries, they give him opium, if they can't sleep, they use opium, if an infant coughs, they give them opium."
Most Afghans aren't aware of the health risks of opium and only a few are beginning to understand the hazards of addiction.
This is a large part of the problem. They don't get it. They don't look at it as a drug. |