Naval Postgraduate School

Drug Treatment Centers in Afghanistan: Creating a Participatory Approach to Tackling the Drug Trade Naval Postgraduate School

Publisher Marketing: This work assesses drug-treatment quality in the three Afghan provinces of Kabul, Kandahar, and Badakhshan by evaluating the extent to which UNODC and WHO standards of care are met. The assessment is structured to show how recovery capital, institutional development, and community action sway an addict's ability to quit drugs successfully. In contextualizing the case studies, a social-economic and political framework is also developed, finding a linkage between addiction, poverty, and drug trafficking. The most successful drug treatment programs follow the nine UNODC/WHO components, enrich community networks, invest in developing human capital, and adapt treatment protocols quickly to Afghanistan's unique circumstances. Provinces with vibrant markets are even more effective at providing quality drug treatment because they are more socially invested in their community. In conclusion, this thesis recommends that we consider the social implications-such as poverty, economics, mental health, and education-when tackling corruption and countering narcotics. Social programs cannot exist in a weak governance system that propels violence. Counseling addicts and improving poverty rates will improve trust between partnerships, instill a sense of empowerment within the poor, create an outlet for social change, and incentivize the community to move away from the illicit drug market.