Afghan Overdose

Afghan Overdose

2015, Drugs  -   10 Comments
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Ratings: 7.89/10 from 53 users.

Afghanistan is the world's biggest producer of opium, and all attempts to foil this unfortunate status have been met with dismal failure. In the new investigative documentary Afghan Overdose, reporters from the Russia Today news organization set out to determine the current state of their opium trade, and what steps are being taken to curb its continued dominance in the region.

From the start of their travels into the country, viewers can detect a tactile sense of danger and dread. Many locals are aggressively opposed to the presence of the reporting team, and payoffs are frequently required to ensure their cooperation.

Their first stop is Pole Sokhta, a camp which is populated solely by the area's most downtrodden opium addicts. Spectators stand above them and stare in curiosity and horror; some of them testify that such a public display was unthinkable only a short time ago when the region was under Taliban rule.

We witness the tactics of local authorities at they raid drug dens and conduct searches on frightened citizens. In each instance, small quantities of opium are confiscated from these suspects. Some hide the product in their shoes while others are shown stocking the largely empty gas tanks of their cars with tightly packed blocks of it.

We enter a rehabilitation clinic, and hear of the challenges which face the medical professionals who work there. Their first obstacle lies in convincing practicing addicts to engage in their treatment services - which includes 15 days of trauma-inducing withdrawals. Following a six week rehab period, they then assist them in finding decent work and a way of life on the outside in order to avoid relapse.

Afghanistan's opium epidemic has implications that reach far beyond the individual addicts or the efforts of local law enforcement. The trade affects the lives of citizens throughout the remainder of the world as well, and also helps to fuel and fund the activities of terrorist organizations like ISIS.

In 2001, the United States allocated seven billion dollars in an attempt to help the country eradicate their opium industry. Yet Afghan poppy fields continue to flourish in size and significance year after year. Many of the reasons behind this are frustratingly elusive, but they're the central focus of this powerful film.

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hella vd K
hella vd K
7 years ago

can anyone please tell me what the little larvae and eggs are in heroin? Cape Town has many addicts and none of us know what these larvae are doing to us..... I am the only one to speak out about this. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!

david from ks
david from ks
7 years ago

I listened to the comments of Dave Emory and a guest ,the Late Mike Rupert, one evening in 1999 talk about the upcoming election and the soon to be Bush-Cheney global drug empire should the two criminals take over from the last CIA puppet regime. That was not surprising but the intentional long term destruction of the Environment by aerosol spray and HAARP with the military attitude of 'try and stop it' was. Fukushima seemed to be a puzzling extortion move.

Daniel teke
Daniel teke
7 years ago

Poppy is a Cash for the Poor people. if the their government cant do much much in providing employment, people will always stick with Poppy. Its Money to them..

John D Hanna
John D Hanna
7 years ago

I agree with Javari by unproven assumption.
However poppy is an important crop.
We do the same with it that everyone else does - provide it to the dying and the very sick or for needed temporary relief.
The difference is they don't pay a fortune for it like we do through regulation so it is a sought after commodity and the warring just keeps the growers in poverty and keeps the price down not for me, if needed, but for the banksters for inhuman profits.

Glen
Glen
7 years ago

The World has the best governments money can buy, look a Haliburton who charge USA taxpayers $100 to do the washing for the troops..or burn a truck because it needs an oil filter,,the poppy
growers get about 1 k a yr,,be cheaper to pay them 2k in cash,

Barbara guillette
Barbara guillette
7 years ago

As we know our satilites pass over and it is said that targets in the US are being hit via satellites, I don't believe this , I believe satilites are part of the communication system, But if it could be true or if we could use drones, plant life is very very very sensitive to emp or EMF , so use your drones to destroy the crops. Experiment on poppies grown here first then do it at night, drones don't need lights and from what I read are pretty silent.unless the big boys don't want you to mess with the drug trade , another crime of the dick. BJG

Barbara guillette
Barbara guillette
7 years ago

As we know our satilites pass over and it is said that targets in the US are being hit via sattilites, I don't believe this. But if it could be true or use drones, plant life is very very very sensitive to emp or EMF , so use your drones to destroy the crops.

Søren
Søren
7 years ago

American government's fault this problem has risen again.... Before all this war sh*t, the problem was almost totally gone.....

User1
User1
7 years ago

Good doc and thank you for posting it. It would seem that with the money US spent there. We could have just given it to them and had better results. Hell the drugs would probably have been irradiated!

Javari Nama
Javari Nama
7 years ago

Are you kidding me? We only went there to get the opium to fuel the painkiller addition epidemic in white America. We knew there was no Bin Laden there because the CIA had already coordinated with Israeli Mossad to carry out 9/11. Now they are walking amongst us free and we wait on them to strike us again like morons.