Opium

Two years on from the Western withdrawal and the Taliban retaking of power in Afghanistan, it's time to assess how Western policies have developed.

Intoxicated birds were seen acting dazed and unable to fly or even walk, while dozens died, after consuming opium poppy plants.

"I know that there are so many other people who have these poppies in their backyard," the flower farmer told Newsweek.

Ingesting poppy seeds—which come from opium poppies—in the days before taking a drug test can lead to a false positive result.

The report also said that targeted strikes sometimes cause civilian deaths, which could alienate the local population and bolster militant sentiments.

Despite fiery rhetoric, Trump's promises to get tough on drugs have only led to vague policy measures.

We live under the illusion that all problems can be dealt with through force.

The drugs stemming from the opium poppy have sparked wars, been used as a painkiller the world over and currently a prescription abuse epidemic in the U.S.

The United Nations estimates that $28 billion worth of heroin and opium is trafficked from Afghanistan to Western Europe each year.

Only military facilities in the key district remain under Afghan control, regional officials say.

The cost of a similar gas station in Pakistan is $500,000, according to a report.

Despite billions of dollars on counternarcotics program, poppy cultivation is growing.

As long as drug production continues unhindered, Afghanistan will destabilize the rest of the world.

The U.N. says that Afghanistan's opium crop has reached unprecedented high despite billions ploughed into anti-drug initiatives

By biohacking yeast to produce opium, researchers hope to shut down poppy fields

This year, Western troops will withdraw from Afghanistan after 13 years of war. Here's what they leave behind

This year, Western troops will withdraw from Afghanistan after 13 years of war. Here's what they leave behind.