The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has reported that while traditional use of cannabis and opium in Afghanistan is decreasing, the consumption of high-risk drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine is on the rise.

The agency said in a report that the total national number of people engaging in high-risk drug use was estimated to be approximately 27,000 (24,330 men and 2,670 women). Additionally, the estimated total number of children under 15 years old using drugs was 2,150.

Compared to the general population, people engaging in high-risk drug use had a lower socio-economic status. Half of them reported having no formal education, and more than one-fifth of hotspot respondents reported experiencing homelessness.

The report also mentioned that about 8% of respondents stated they had used injectable drugs, and more than 75% of those users shared needles, which increases the risk of disease transmission.

The Islamic Emirate, however, reiterates that it has taken a tough stance against drugs since taking over the country in August 2021.

Abdul Matin Qani, the Interior Ministry’ spokesman, said that 98,000 operations were carried out over the past four years, as a result of which 38,000 hectares of opium crops were destroyed.

Additionally, more than 20,000 drug factories and 8,500 tons of narcotics were destroyed.

Qani said that around 28,000 people have been arrested on charges of smuggling, adding that more than 150,000 drug addicts have been rounded up for rehabilitation.

He said that drug levels in Afghanistan has reached zero, and only some modern types of drugs are being smuggled from regional countries and some European countries.