Drug use rife amoungst Afgan army soldiers, we cant leave them in charge

I've smoked green for nearly 20 years now, I used to get paranoid when I was younger, but as I've gotten older I've developed a 'who cares' frame of mind and haven't had paranoia in at least 10 years of heavy use. Not saying that works for everyone, especially if you are in a warzone, but I'd say it'd probably make life more bearable there than be a hinderance.

According to most reports, the Taliban did have the opium issue under control until the US stuck their nose in, some agree that opium production was a motivating factor of war. Let them have their pain relief and sort out their problems in their own good time. War is hell, even a moment of forgetting their ill gotten abuses is reasonable. Not all take the addiction, but not all have the pain. Cut back on the guns and build up on the medical if the US really does give a dame.

reply to post by Balkan


Actually our government is paying sldiers protect the poppy feilds

US Military Helps Terrorist's Grow Heroin - US Funding Taliban

It's always been my understanding that the use of narcotics and other mind altering and 'performance enhancing' substances have been used by those involved in armed conflict since Adam slew Cain.
I'm sure it's only been relatively recently that the practice has been discouraged and legislated against.

But who can forget the '___' experiments upon US Servicemen and rumours from Gulf War 1 etc?

here is a little known fact of life, all wars have been involved with some form of drug use 12th century the 1700's french Indian wars 1776 the 18th century 1812 1836 1861 the 19th 1917 1941 1950 1965 1986 1991 and now the 21st 2002 till present now matter what kind of drug there will be a drug problem if it is the form of pills if it can be smoked, injected, or drank, and most of all as long as there is a law /ban on them.
They will be used so the only fix is to make them a taxed commodity, legal, for we are in a world of drug users, just turn on the TV, or radio, read a mag, page after page of some new drug/ pill shot "ask your doc if this is right for you" is the motto of today's society.

Is war a drug induced state of mind?; Or a mind that needs drugs to cope with the acts of war. most of you do not that there were no drug laws until after the first would war do you. that is WW1 ended in 1918 the first drug law by the US 1919.

Look it up it is all because of the drug company's not because it is "bad for you" or does Bad things , it is because of the easiness to make, get and use.
Big Pharm had not control over it. That is why it is still against the law today.
There is more to be made by man made chems that there is by refining a plant or picking it, and the others are just to harmful to mess with Meth, and designer drugs, the ones you here about at raves, (never been but seen the goer's at Denny's.) EPA and DEQ would have a filed day, with big pharm corps if they did, find a way to make it and make it with out the mess and hazard you would make wally world happy , "yes i would like to fill my Meth prescription".

I'm confident 10 more years of ISAF boondoggling--I mean presence in Afghanistan will not produce a better outcome for anyone. The Hizb i Islami (HIG), Taliban, & ISI would counter ISAF's & political do-gooders' best efforts for another 10 years. Beside this the Afghan government is not or has not meaningfully tackled the problem of cronyism & corruption within its own ranks. Regular Afghan citizens are not oblivious to this & are presented with choices by non state actors (specifically, groups that are not aligned with or part of the Afghan government) that support their needs. Effectively, these non state organizations politic in their spheres of influence & offer, in some circumstances, better alternatives than the Afghan government. This is no small obstacle for combatant commanders & higher's intent.

As for ~1/4 of Afghanistan's military men getting loaded ... I'm not surprised. Many of them don't believe vis-a-vis HIG & Taliban fighters. The rule of thumb is that 1 of every 10 ANA or ANP is a turncoat. Maybe that number has increased? I don't know. But more to the point, that rule of thumb is not farfetched, i.e. the ratio withstood scrutiny as early as 2006.

reply to post by bekod


The second biggest conspiracy in the world after God, (any God, take your own particular favourite), is the UK / US etc drug laws and the 'war on drugs'.

Firstly, id like you to go look up the staatistics for US army servicmen who are taking all kinds of prescribed psychoactive meds for PTSD, etc.
They are trusted with weapons of all types every day.
Secondly, id like to inform you that use of opium and hashish in afghanistan is a minor thing that is accepted behavior if not to excess.
The Afghan people Kicked the pants off the british, and then the Russians,, without much help buit a few stinger missiles.
Faced with the full might of NATO allies the contest is far from lost to them,and rumourhas it the west is engaged in peace talks with the Taaliban now.
The Taliban practically eliminated the production of commercial opium or heroin before the US ever attacked them.
When they were defeated, and retreated, the opium bacame the staple crop...Of the west puppet regime (Karzai and brother)
Many afghans want neither the Taliban, nor any foriegn goverment in control of the country.
If they fight they are terrorists no matter their loyalties.
Right now the west has control of the goverment, as well as the war.
Aghans have no say.........

reply to post by stirling

Afghans have no control?
THAT is democracy...!

90 percent against the bailout, or aid to Israel while threatening to not payout to US pensioners and like that over the "debt ceiling"...
THAT is how Democracy rolls.

shouldn't everybody get some?

reply to post by chaztekno


Thats kinda proving what im saying though, it can exasserbate people with smaller mental health issues. It doesnt make wife beaters mongs, look at Jeremyh Kyle, almost all the wife beaters on there have cannabis problems!

reply to post by stirling


Its a bit different a soldier taking persciption, legal drugs for ptsd than a soldier getting high on heroin whilst fighting!

reply to post by clintdelicious


So it's perfectly acceptable for a soldier to be prescribed and possibly addicted to Prozac, Seroxat or something equally mind numbing but not for him to have the occassional joint or the the odd recreational pill or whatever?

But I suppose that's hardly an accurate comparison.

As far as I'm aware during the last century and before the advent of random drug testing amphetamine sulphate was regularly used by those on active duty, but what do I know, I could be wrong.

nvm

Originally posted by BrianDamage
Didn't the Taliban outlaw opium production?
I was under the impression that once we "liberated" Afghanistan, most of the Heroin in Europe was from the poppy fields of Afghanistan.
Before our "liberation", only a small amount of Europe's Heroin originated from Afghanistan.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

www.globalresearch.ca...

Yes they did ban opium, and in doing so, somehow lost the power to govern if I read correctly. And in 2001, the CIA's meddling is what caused the BOOM in opium production there. The solution, once again, is the problem. What a mess..

reply to post by clintdelicious


I have smoked cannabis since i turned 18 not once have i attempted to assault my wife all though there have been times i did Want too. Alcohol and past psychological abuse is the fuel for all wife beaters just ask your local police officer. lmao cannabis fuels wife beaters get the frick outta here.

Ok you guys, enough with the personal drug use anecdotes. This coming from a pro-illegal plant guy. This is a propaganda piece plain and simple, Too Many Pills hit the nail on the head IMHO. Illegal drugs, and tonnes of rare earth metals. But hey, we need to help the poor addicts.... what a mess.

listien here afghans have been through war for a cra p load period of time ...


all they know is war , faminine , poverty , hate , stress ...


through them a bone will ya lol ... if you were in a war 30+ years you would be smoking something too .... since everyday is the same bs over and over lol ....


watch this video and laugh with me will ya ?

the taliban outlawed the use of heroin by everyone in afghanistan, not the production. they made money from the sale of it. when they were overthrown the locals started using heroin/opium in a big way. now it is a huge problem in the country. not just for the locals but for soldiers as well. soldiers are using it as are all other types of people. workers, farmers etc. its widely available as its the biggest income for crop farmers. there are no taliban to tell them not to use it and im sure its very cheap if not free to most citizens there.
as for u.s. soldiers taking heroin you can be sure thats happening quite a lot. remember in vietnam a lot of them took all sorts of drugs and came home addicted. the situation the soldiers are in over there forces some to seek an escape or a relief from the daily stress and tension they must surely suffer. so some of them will turn to drugs. its human nature.
this is a modern day opium war, make no mistake. if it wasnt the poppy fields would be eradicated by now. its almost 10 years since the usa entered afghanistan and the drug is as available worldwide as ever. and we all know about good ol uncle sams previous with drugs, a la coc aine wars...
after all is'nt drugs the worlds number one industry???

Originally posted by clintdelicious
reply to post by itisortofthetruth

 

It may not be as bad as heroin addiction for example but using it everyday will cause severe issues. Not to mention paranoia. I had an x girlfriend who started smoking a lot at uni and she went totally mad with paranoia, different people are affected in different ways and paranoia is the last thing you want in an army that is corrupt dont you think?

Also opium and heroin is one of the most common drugs in Afgan so its not like a small number do it and the main issue is a few soldiers having the occassional joint. These are daily drug users we are talking about!

Um no.

This is just wrong. Weed does not = meth.

Weed will make you lazy, want to sit around and eat nachos and cheese, and play video games.

You sir have failed.

any one up for some nachos and video games? lmao thank goodness Mich passed the med marijuana laws good weed was hard to find so watch the frick out taco bell cause cod modern warfare 3 is a comin 11/8/11. Ok before i start my game it's time for the Pledge of allegiance

" I pledge allegiance to the herb, with all the stoners on the globe, and to always hit it and never quit it, one plant, from the Earth, with chronic and purple haze for all."