The Law

Although most of the heroin smuggled into the United States comes from countries to the south, the drug-producing nation that causes the American government the most concern is an ocean away. Afghanistan is the world's top grower of opium poppies, producing over 90 percent of all opiates. In 2006, there was a record-breaking crop of opium poppies, and the yield in 2007 was 34 percent higher. More cropland in Afghanistan is devoted to growing poppies and other drug crops than in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia (all major coca growers) combined.

For the United States, the opium situation in Afghanistan goes beyond the issue of drug production. A coalition led by the United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 in order to combat terrorism and install a democratic government. The thriving opium industry represents a failure on the part of the Americans to bring stability and economic security to Afghanistan.