Pubdate: Wed 29 Jun 2005 Source: Scotsman (UK) Copyright: The Scotsman Publications Ltd 2005 Contact: http://www.scotsman.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/406 Author: David Barrett Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/afghanistan BRITAIN LOSING OPIUM WAR WITH BOOMING AFGHAN POPPY GROWERS: UN Growth of opium poppies in Afghanistan - which Britain plays the leading role in combating - has reached unprecedented levels, the UN said today. The area under cultivation for the heroin crop leapt from 80,000 hectares in 2003 to 131,000 hectares last year. Today's UN World Drug Report said global poppy cultivation increased 16% last year, entirely due to the situation in Afghanistan, which was responsible for 67% of crops worldwide. Opium cultivation has surged in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime, which prohibited farmers from growing the crop. Home Secretary Charles Clarke has acknowledged that Britain has not made as much progress as hoped in defeating the Afghan opium growers. The UN report said: "Of greatest concern is the fact that opium poppy cultivation has been introduced into previously unaffected areas and is now found in all 34 provinces of the country." In contrast, cultivation in Laos fell 43% to 6,600 hectares and in Burma (Myanmar) 23% to 44,200 hectares. The report added: "Opium prices in Afghanistan were declining with increasing supplies." "The average price for fresh opium at the time of harvest amounted to 92 US dollars per kilo in 2004, a 69% decline compared to the previous year." It said global opium production increased 2% to 4,850 metric tons in the year, due to relatively low crop yields in the year. This amount could potentially produce 565 metric tonnes of heroin, said the report. Opiate seizures worldwide increased by a third to a record high of 110 metric tonnes. Comparing the production and seizure figures suggested law enforcement agencies were intercepting nearly a quarter of all opiates produced, it added. The UN document said an estimated 200 million people aged 15 to 64, or 5% of the world's population, have used illegal drugs in the last 12 months, 15 million more than last year. It said the figure remained significantly lower than the number using legal psychoactive substances such as alcohol and tobacco. An estimated 16 million used opiates, including 10.6 million heroin abusers. Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "Britain was charged with responsibility for controlling heroin growth in Afghanistan in 2001. "This report clearly shows that the government continues to fail." "Heroin exported from Afghanistan makes its way through our porous borders into our communities. "This, in turn, fuels the escalating problem of violent and gun related crime on our streets." He added: "It is no wonder the number of hard drug users in this country now tops a million people and is increasing. Labour have not just failed in the war on drugs, they haven't even begun to fight it." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin