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Colin Webostad
Mr. Campopiano
Government 1
10/23/15
Curbing the Afghanistan Heroin Trade
The government of the United States has made many attempts to curb both drug abuse in
the US and terrorist activities around the globe. Some of these attempts have succeeded, while
others have failed miserably. Regardless, the focus of the U.S. government has generally been on
domestic policy rather than international policy. Illicit opioids, most notably heroin, are the chief
export of Afghanistan mainly through terrorist organizations. In some way, shape, or form, those
exports kill Americans, if not directly through overdose, then indirectly through terrorism. The
drugs are shipped here, to one of the 4.2 million Americans who use heroin (according to the
National Institute of Drug Administration NIDA). The profits are then sent back to the terrorist
organizations in Afghanistan where they buy the bullets that get the soldiers of this nation
soldiers shot. Heroin is created by refining opium poppies, into opium, then the opium is
processed into morphine and finally refined to heroin. By supplying the Afghan government
with aid packages to decrease the illicit drug trade, the congress can continue to help create
poppy free zones in Afghanistan. Poppy cultivation still occurs in provinces of Afghanistan
which have few governmental institutions. The United States should provide extra aid to
Afghanistan for the extension of government agencies and economic development, the Congress
could greatly impact the funding of extremist groups, the welfare of American citizens, and
reduce future costs to the U.S.
Terrorism and illegal drug smuggling are crippling Afghanistan, the United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon stated Those who run trafficking operations are ruthless and

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often murderous. These are groups of people who are the dregs of society. These people have
caused the United States pain for no real reason at all, these are organizations that attack us,
condemn the United States, and in general think of the people of the United States as the devil.
In 2003 the Taliban was revitalized by the money from the opium harvest. (Saul David, the
editor of The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Warfare). Why shouldn't the congress squeeze off the
funding of those who would shut off the peoples freedom for some narrow interpretation of holy
writ?
The United States has effetely reduced the heroin production of Columbia and the
Mexican authorities are perusing an aggressive strategy to curb their heroin production, this
leaves Afghanistan as the relatively unchecked heroin world heroin producer with a market share
of 80 percent. Americans increasingly easy access to heroin has caused a meteoric rise in use.
In 2011, 4.2 million Americans aged 12 or older (or 1.6 percent) had used heroin at least once in
their lives (NIDA). This congress should not allow for the condemnation of a population twice
the size of the United States military to the service of a drug. Heroin is one of the hardest drugs
to shake off once it has taken hold, Because it enters the brain so rapidly, heroin is particularly
addictive, both psychologically and physically (Drug Enforcement Administration). This alone
should have moved the congress toward action, for one cannot use heroin if it cannot be
acquired. This is not just about a handful of middle aged criminals, there are also kids in middle
school and high school are put into that bracket. The Congress should not allow people to die
because of inaction: Heroin abusers do not know the actual strength of the drug or its true
contents, they are at a high risk of overdose or death (Drug Enforcement Administration). By
failing to help Afghanistan, this congress will condemn more of its citizens to death. But there is
another cost which possess more of a threat.

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The other cost that the congress will have to deal with is the cost of the war in
Afghanistan: The United States federal government has spent or obligated 4.4 trillion dollars on
the wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. (Watson Institute) Mentioned above is part of the
reason these wars have been so costly, as the enemy is well funded by the harvest of opium. If
the congress had sought to stem the flow of opium and heroin which supports terrorists in
Afghanistan, it might have reduced war costs to the United States. The monies used to pay for
the where mainly borrowed Unless the US immediately repays the money borrowed for war,
there will also be future interest payments. We estimate that interest payments could total over $7
trillion by 2053 (Watson Institute). The past congress pursued a policy that is penny wise and
pound foolish, the congress needs to change strategy.
Some would say that this proposition of giving more aid to Afghanistan is an
unnecessary expenditure, they would postulate that USAID already spends enough money on
improvements both in the extension of power of the Afghan government and economic
development, however they often omit these facts As of October 16, 2015 for operation
Enduring Freedom over twenty thousand United States military personnel have been wounded in
action and just over one thousand eight hundred have been killed in action (Department of
Defense). If the congress could haves saved even a quarter of those who give this country
everything it is worth the cost. The opposition also omits The 8,257 drug-poisoning deaths
(over-dose) involving heroin (2013) (Center for Disease Control). These are the young people
of this country who in both cases that are dying because as a Congress and as a nation are not
doing enough to stop the supply of heroin into this country. Now those are the people of this
country but what about the Afghan people, they have been in a state of occupation for decades,
they use heroin just as readily as us and they lose people not just to the drugs but in the cross fire

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that has enveloped their country, they have lost at least as much as these United States. The least
the congress can do is to attempt to remedy their pain because the congress are in part
responsible for their pain.
More action is the best option. The congress, not only owe it to the people of the United
States but to the people of the world to reduce the spread of this drug. It is not as hard as many
may think, these are people who are willing to fight for their country all they need is the
resources to do so as the United States Military and Civilian advisor to the President of
Afghanistan Colonel Eric Heffner said They are very willing to fight. The congress can either
pursue a campaign of total ignorance or the congress can step forward into the light.

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Work Cited
1. NIDA DrugFacts: Heroin drugabuse.gov NIDA National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Heroin Retrieved. september 22 2015.
2. Ban Ki-moon Illicit Trade Enriching Terrorists, Anti-Government Forces,

Chief of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Warns in Briefing un.org december
9 2009 september 22 2015.
3. Saul David Wars in Afghanistan The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Warfare 2012. print.

October 18 2015.
4. Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Fact Sheet Heroin dea.gov Drug Enforcement

Administration web. October 18 2015.

5. Watson Institute COSTS OF WAR brown.edu April 2015. web. October 18 2015.

6. Department of Defence casualty defence.gov October 16 2015. web. October 18 2015.

7. Colonel Eric Heffner (spy?) Re : rts June 19 2015. email. October 18 2015.