"UN Report: Afghanistan Emerges as Global Leader in Methamphetamine Production"

Afghanistan has become the fastest-growing producer of methamphetamine, according to a report by the United Nations drug agency. The country, already a major opium and heroin source, is now a growing threat to health and security due to its increasing meth manufacturing. Meth in Afghanistan is primarily made from legally available substances or extracted from the ephedra plant, which grows in the wild. Seizures of meth suspected to have come from Afghanistan have been reported in the European Union and east Africa. The Taliban's crackdown on drugs since returning to power in August 2021 has yet to be assessed for its impact on meth supplies.