Highes­t preval­ence of opiate users found in Baloch­istanA report by the Public Health Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) estimated at least 10.9 per cent of the north-western province’s population has used an illicit substance in the past year alone. “The highest prevalence of opiate users was found in Balochistan – where 1.6 per cent of the population uses either heroin, opium, or both,” said the report. The report suggests that the increased availability of drugs is due to Pakistan’s status as a transit country facilitating Afghanistan – a major opium producer in the world. “In 2016-17, Pakistan seized a total of 2,860 metric tons of different types of narcotics drugs. It showed cannabis amongst the most commonly used drugs with around four million users nationwide.

Source: The Express Tribune April 12, 2019 11:48 UTC