RASC News Agency: According to a report from the Spanish newspaper “El Pais,” the Taliban’s ban on poppy cultivation is alarming Europe due to the potential reduction in global opium and heroin supply. As per the report published by this Spanish newspaper on Friday, March 15th, citing a Spanish official, if poppy cultivation in Afghanistan ceases, thousands of consumers of these substances in Europe could face death.
Following the prohibition of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan by the Taliban, the cultivation of these substances has decreased from around 676,000 acres to about 26,000 acres, as reported. However, the newspaper did not provide an explanation of how this data was obtained.
Based on statements from the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction, given the decrease in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, the world may face a shortage of global opium and heroin supply. In such a scenario, consumers might resort to using more harmful opioid derivatives like fentanyl or carfentanil.
Ramon Chacon, Barcelona’s senior commissioner for investigations, stated that if European markets face a heroin shortage, consumers may turn to even more dangerous alternatives. He added, “If poppy is not cultivated in Kabul, thousands in Europe will die.”
However, he emphasized that this scenario will not unfold immediately in Europe. Meanwhile, Juan Willoughby, Spain’s government representative for the national drug strategy, mentioned that there are still no signs of the presence of synthetic heroin in the country.
He stated that heroin and opium derived from Afghanistan poppies are transported to Europe very slowly and with difficulty. He noted that Myanmar has surpassed Afghanistan in poppy production.
