This is a national disaster for Russia and the Central Asian Republics. If this is not devastating public health and law enforcement issue, I do not know what is? This is a modern-day Oppium War, only this time the assorted criminal clans are using their "private intitiative" to get the higest number of people as possible destroyed. The mere fact that Afghanistan has become such a powerfull production and distribution center makes one wonder what the foreign forces are doing there. It seems to me that just like in Kosovo and Columbia, the foreign presence acts as the protection for drug production and smuggling, human and arms trafficking, and other dehumanizing trade. Kosovo and Afghanistan have evolved along absolutely identical pattern. Kosovo has become an "independent" country, but their constitution has been written by the "international community", and the supreme authority in the country is NATO. This has been adopted from Maarti Ahtisaari Plan on "supervised independence". Europe's largest criminal operations are stationed, or operate throgh Kosovo. The new, four lane highway now liking Kosovo to Albania, made the already porous border "easy to use" as well. It is no wonder that "sovereign" Afghanistan was the first country to recognize Kosovo! The bridge to Tajikistan is another new marvel, that facilitates mass transfer of drugs into Central Asia and beyond. The problem is, Russia and the Central Asian Republics are not tough enough on this disaster. This requires military action on borders and much higher level of intelligence. Both government and the opposition need to focus on this, demanding tougher action. Education of young people may also be the key. This is a major public health issue, but it is not getting even the fraction of publicity of the swine flu. I am not sure when will the affected countries and their regional organizations understand that this is a war "by other means".

This dispicable trade has been going on since long before even the British controlled Afghanistan. It continued through the Soviet Occupation, and it continues during the US / Nato occupation. Ironically the Taliban were active in controlling the level of this trade as it conflicted with their beliefs. Some Taliban controlled areas were actually 'purged' of large poppy plantations, however in other areas controlled by 'warlords' and 'tribes' the trade went on unabaited. It will most likely continue long after the US leave the country. Opiates are simply too valuable a commodity, with too many powerful groups involved for it to be controlled effectively.

I fear you are correct. As soon as I saw the headline, I thought, well, now, this must be one of the objectives. There was, of course, the opium war, which resulted because the "international community" forced China to accept payment for all its goods traded in the form of opium! I find that one of the most evil acts in all of human history. I remember how drugs were used in Vietnam. Two of my cousins were drafted and went to Vietnam. Both of them came back addicted to heroin and totally messed up. One of them recovered and is a truck driver. The last I heard of the other was when his father, a roofer, killed himself. The speculation was that it was because of what happened to his son in Vietnam. My roofer uncle was a World War II veteran, of the Navy, and he married the widow of his brother, another uncle of mine, who died on Iwo Jima. Of all the afflictions imposed on people, none is worse than addictive drugs. Its a slow death in which those around the addict are also destroyed, espeically children.

This seems to be focused on the availability, leaving aside the obvious social problems inside Russia, There's an old saying “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink” I can go to my local market and buy gallons of beer and turn myself into an alcoholic, but because I am a well balanced person with a stable life I choose not to destroy myself and my family. More should be done to deal with the social problems inside Russia that have turned 2.2 million people into heroin addicts; let alone the millions of alcoholics this country already has. This is a national disaster; Russia’s population is shrinking while at the same time the global birth rate is increasing, it seems to me that these despairing people would just turn to another drug if heroin was not available (probably cheap home made vodka).

The only way the illegal drug traffic to Russia and other countries can be contained and stopped is by all civilized nations implementing a mandatory death penalty for all persons involved in the drug trade. There are too many influential people who are involved, either as users [HOLLYWOOD STARS] or high political and judical people who allow it to go on {sometimes for a profit}. After many of these criminals are executed publically the problem will start to get corrected. After a few thousand of the top leaders are executed the business will start to dry up worldwide. Severe consequences is the only way to deal with this evil. The question is, do the world leaders of today really want to destroy the illegal drug industry?