Afghanistan's Drug Problem: Costs, Consequences and Counter-Narcotics Strategies

Despite concerted efforts to tackle the drug problem in Afghanistan, the industry continues to grow at an alarming rate. It accounts for nearly one-third of the state's economy and remains one of the chief threats to Afghanistan's security and development.

• What are the current strategies being employed to attack this problem?
• What needs to be done to make them more effective?
• What other approaches are possible?
• What is the role of the Afghan government, the U.S. and the international community in making progress on this critical problem?

Speakers

• William A. Byrd
  Economist, The World Bank
• M. Ashraf Haidari
  Counselor, Embassy of Afghanistan
• Ambassador Thomas A. Schweich
  U.S. Coordinator for Counternarcotics and Justice Reform in Afghanistan
• Beth Cole, Moderator
  Coordinator, Afghanistan Working Group, U.S. Institute of Peace