ADDICTION BLIGHTS AFGHAN REFUGEES

Hundreds of Afghan refugees in the Pakistani city of Peshawar are said
to have turned to heroin to forget miseries caused by 20 years of war.

A survey team of the United Nations International Drug Control
Programme (UNDCP) interviewed 150 addicts living in Peshawar on the
streets, under the bridges and in graveyards.

It found that 46% of the addicts are forced to live outside their
homes due to family pressure and the abhorrence of the general public.

The survey cited depression, sadness and unemployment as the main
causes of falling prey to the white killer, as heroin is known.

Other reasons included the influence of friends, family members and
colleagues, as well as ignorance about adverse affects of heroin.

According to the survey, 70% of the addicts in Peshawar are
illiterate, 50% are married and have children and 57% are unemployed.

No Support

Of the 150 addicts who were interviewed, nearly half used heroin three
times a day or more.

More than half wanted to give up heroin but were unable to do so due
to a lack of funds and support to start a new life.

The survey said nearly two-thirds of all addicts reported feelings of
alienation from their families and community.

It cited reports of a significant number of the addicts dying each
year from intense winter cold, summer heat or road accidents.

It said many of them suffered from drug-related infections and
illnesses due to their unhygienic living conditions.

The UNDCP survey also referred to an informal study carried out in
1998 by a drug treatment centre in Peshawar, which showed that 829 out
of the 1,892 heroin addicts in the city were Afghan refugees.