VOA常速英语:阿富汗戒毒危机

Muhammad has registered at a local hospital for addiction treatment. But must wait four months to be enrolled. I'm even ready to get admitted to the hospital right away. But it's not possible because there aren't enough treatment facilities. We want the government to build more hospitals for drug addicts. Mohammed is not alone. According to a June survey by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, about 1 million Afghans between the ages of 15 to 64 suffer from drug addiction. That's about 8 percent of the country's population. Most addicts here in Kandahar say they want to be enrolled in treatment facilities and are calling on the government to provide more help.

If the number of treatment facilities increase in the city, more addicts will voluntarily join the rehab centers for treatment. Kandahar residents are worried about the rights of addicts in their neighborhoods. There are so many addicts in the city. And people are in trouble because of them. They are involved in many things from stealing small things like shoes and masks to big thefts. The government needs to take care of these addicts and build a big hospital for their treatment. So they can be returned to normal life. Unemployment and insecurity are often listed as reasons why so many Afghans have chosen drugs to ease their suffering. While the number of drug addicts in Kandahar is estimated at 300,000 people. Public health officials acknowledge that the province's only hospital with just 70 beds is by no means enough for those seeking treatment. For Azizallah Popal in Kandahar Afghanistan VOA News