NCJ Number
224686
Date Published
October 2008
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This report provides an overview of Afghanistan’s “hidden” drug problem, that is, the misuse of psychotropics, which are pharmaceutical drugs such as painkillers and tranquilizers that are consumed in order to have a psychoactive effect, absent a prescription from a qualified doctor or in ways not recommended by the doctor or the drug manufacturer.
Abstract
Based on a national survey conducted in 2005, the number of problem pharmaceutical drug users in Afghanistan was estimated to be 180,000. In 2003, an assessment or problem drug use in Kabul city found 14,298 users of pharmaceutical drugs, compared to 10,774 opium users and 7,008 heroin users. There is a range of types of psychotropic drug misuse in Afghanistan. One significant problem is long-term self-medication with powerful painkillers and tranquilizers without a doctor’s prescription. Reasons for the misuse of such drugs may include conflict-related poverty, social displacement, and mental health problems. It is estimated that up to 80 percent of the psychotropics available in Afghanistan have been smuggled into the country without a license and without testing in order to determine whether they contain additives, are counterfeit, or are out of date. Border controls are weak, as are the control and regulation of psychotropics within the country. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health recently established a legal department in its Directorate of Pharmacy for the purposes of controlling and monitoring pharmacies and medical institutions, as well as to monitor whether out-of-date, expired, or low-quality medicines are being sold. There is a need for stricter regulation of the sale and distribution of psychotropics from other retail outlets, such as shops and handcarts in marketplaces. Addressing this problem requires a long-term strategy and commitment by the government and the international community. A glossary of psychotropics used in Afghanistan is provided.