April 24, 2025

A Second Shot: Drug Addiction in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has one of the world’s highest drug addiction rates. According to the Taliban, there are an estimated four million drug addicts across the country. Babrak, a former mujahideen fighter, used to be one of them. Now, he is committed to supporting addicts to detox in one of the capital’s under-resourced drug rehabilitation hospitals. Since the Taliban took power in 2021, international aid has been withdrawn and public services are on the brink of collapse. Babrak and a handful of medical staff struggle to offer a line of hope as the Taliban’s anti-drug policies are put into action.
April 23, 2025

Afghanistan: The Billion Dollar Drug War

Drug use in Afghanistan is at an all-time high. With NATO forces withdrawing and local law enforcement authorities having little to no funding, the poppy fields are thriving. In this documentary, 101 East investigates how Afghan authorities are fighting to regulate the return of poppy farming, the ramifications of the global war on drugs, and what the future holds for this vulnerable nation. Fortunately, there is one woman in Kabul who works endlessly to help addicts.