Afghan infants fed pure opium

In northern Afghanistan, a women feeds her four-year-old son, Omaidullah a lump of pure opium. The mother claims if she don't give him opium he doesn't sleep. In addition she states it also allow her to work. The mother, Aziza comes from a poor family of carpet weavers in Balkh province. She has no education, no idea of the health risks involved or that opium is addictive. Aziza states in the article that in their country "We give the children opium whenever they get sick." With no real medical care in these parts and the high cost of medicine, all the families out here look to opium.n n The practice of giving children opium goes back generations and on. The adults take opium to work longer hours and ease their pain. "People use opium as drugs or medicine. If a child cries, they give him opium, if they can't sleep, they use opium, if an infant coughs, they give them opium." The mother clear says in the this article that we are poor and we don't have anything to eat. That is why we have to work and use drugs to keep our kids quiet."



By Delaina Flagg

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/01/20/afghan.opium.kids/index.html?npt=NP1