TALIBAN OPIUM BAN: THE NEED FOR CONTINGENCY PLANNING 1

Drug Policy Foundation TALIBAN OPIUM BAN: THE NEED FOR CONTINGENCY PLANNING New analysis from David Mansfield, the leading SCENARIO 2: OPIUM BAN IS SUSTAINED, expert in his field, has found the ban on opium PRODUCTION IS DISPLACED TO OTHER imposed by the Taliban has led to an estimated REGIONS 80%+ reduction in Afghan opium production, which supplies around 95% of the European heroin The second po. [...] sold in lieu of new production, the ban may have ultimately profited the Taliban, who derive a substantial income from informal taxes on the opium trade. [...] It is possible the ban will not be sustained for multiple growing seasons, as the Taliban ultimately may opt to not risk one of its diminishing sources of income, and potential hostility from significant swathes of the population who will be further driven into poverty by the ban. [...] These reduce the risk of, and treat, elsewhere does not rise enough to counterbalance the synthetic opioid overdose, including: Overdose impact of the ban, heroin supply will be substantially Prevention Centres, low threshold naloxone and reduced. [...] According to Mansfield, following the 2000- fentanyl testing strip provision, accessible city centre 1 opium ban, it took 18 months before there was a drug checking services, heroin assisted treatment, significant drop in the quality of heroin in UK markets, and other innovative prescribing models including of and two years for average purity to fall from 55%- hydromorphone.