J.B. Russell

Reportage: Pakistan II: Heroin

Afghanistan produces 80% of the world's heroin. The illicit trade plagues efforts to rebuild the war-ravaged nation, but poppy cultivation is the only viable cash crop for many of Afghanistan's poor farmers. The drug is smuggled to wealthy countries in the West, leaving a trail of devastated lives along the way. Pakistan is the main staging area for the exportation of heroin from Afghanistan and the primary reason for the huge number of addicts in the country. A dollar will buy enough heroin to stay high for an entire day, but few resources are available to prevent narcotics trafficking or to treat the victims of Pakistan's enormous heroin addiction crisis.

Afghan heroin addicts from the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif live and use drugs in a cemetery. Afghanistan is the world's largest poppy producer and exports the vast majority of the heroin and opium on the world market. Pakistan is the primary staging area for heroin on its way to rich western markets and is suffering a severe drug addiction crisis as a result.Quetta, Pakistan. Photo © J.B. Russell
   
Drug addicts smoke heroin in a cave located in a cemetery. Many of the addicts are Afghan refugees. Afghanistan is the world's largest poppy producing nation and exports opium and heroin to its neighbors as well as to the rest of the world.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
   
Drug addicts smoke and inject heroin under a bridge along a sewage canal. Many of the addicts are refugees from neighboring Afghanistan. Afghanistan is the world's largest poppy producing nation and exports opium and heroin to its neighbors as well as to the rest of the world.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
     
  
Drug addicts smoke and inject heroin under a bridge along a sewage canal. Many of the addicts are Afghan refugees. Afghanistan is the world's largest poppy producing nation and exports opium and heroin to its neighbors as well as to the rest of the world.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
   
Drug addicts smoke heroin under a bridge along a sewage canal. Many of the addicts are Afghan refugees. Afghanistan is the world's largest poppy producing nation and exports opium and heroin to its neighbors as well as to the rest of the world.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
   
Drug addicts smoke heroin under a bridge along a sewage canal. Many of the addicts are Afghan refugees. Afghanistan is the world's largest poppy producing nation and exports opium and heroin to its neighbors as well as to the rest of the world.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
     
  
Drug addicts prepare and inject heroin under a bridge along a sewage canal. Many of the addicts are Afghan refugees. Afghanistan is the world's largest poppy producing nation and exports opium and heroin to its neighbors as well as to the rest of the world.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
   
Drug addicts inject heroin under a bridge along a sewage canal. Many of the addicts are Afghan refugees. Afghanistan is the world's largest poppy producing nation and exports opium and heroin to its neighbors as well as the West.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
   
A heroin addict with a wound on his arm from excessive intravenous drug use sits along a sewage canal in the city center. Pakistan is the main staging area for heroin export from Afghanistan to the rest of the world, creating a huge drug addiction crisis in the country.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
     
  
   
Recovering drug addicts at the Milo Shaheed Trust. The center assists addicts to become clean and with follow up therapy, however the addicts or their families must pay a fee of Rs. 2750 ($45) per month to cover food and medicines. This sum makes the program beyond the means of many of the worst drug addiction cases.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
   
Recovering drug addicts at the Milo Shaheed Trust. The center assists addicts to become clean and with follow up therapy. The addicts. or their families, must pay a fee of Rs. 2750 ($45) per month to cover food and medicines, a sum that makes the program beyond many of the worst drug addiction cases.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
     
  
Recovering drug addicts at the Milo Shaheed Trust. The center assists addicts to become clean and with follow up therapy. The addicts. or their families, must pay a fee of Rs. 2750 ($45) per month to cover food and medicines, a sum that makes the program beyond many of the worst drug addiction cases.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
   
A recovering drug addict at the Milo Shaheed Trust. The center assists addicts to become clean and with follow up therapy, however the addicts or their families must pay a fee of Rs. 2750 ($45) per month to cover food and medicines. This sum makes the program beyond many of the worst drug addiction cases.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
   
A drug addict smokes heroin under a bridge along a sewage canal. Many of the addicts are Afghan refugees. Afghanistan is the world's largest poppy producing nation and exports opium and heroin to its neighbors as well as to the rest of the world.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell
     
  
A heroin addict sleeps in a grave yard where he lives and uses drugs. Many of the addicts are Afghan refugees. Afghanistan is the world's largest poppy producing nation and exports opium and heroin to its neighbors as well as the rest of the world.Quetta, Pakistan.Photo © J.B. Russell