The Poppy Fields of Afghanistan: Another Vietnam?

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The health and safety of deployed American troops is of primary importance to the US military. There are often dangers faced by deployed forces that have little to do with combat and much to do with the region deployed to. One such danger would be the overwhelming availability of illicit drugs. The use of illicit drugs has been acknowledged by the military as a large detractor from the health and safety of US military membersi. The US is currently engaged in Afghanistan in an effort that will probably keep US troops deployed there for many years to come. Afghanistan is the producer of over 87% of the world’s supply of heroinii. Afghanistan is part of the Golden Crescent, an area named for the gold brought in to pay for opium produced there. During the Vietnam War drugs were a tremendous problem in the military with some reports indicating that 67% of Vietnam veterans had problems with drug abuse with nearly 23% admitting to heroin use.iii During the Vietnam War the Golden Triangle region, the name given to the opium producing area including Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Laos, surrounding Vietnam was the world’s major producer of heroin.