"UN Report: Afghanistan Emerges as Top Methamphetamine Producer"

Afghanistan has become the world's fastest-growing producer of methamphetamine, according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes. The country, known for its opium production, is now a major source of meth as well. Meth in Afghanistan is primarily made from legally available substances or extracted from the ephedra plant, which grows in the wild. The report warns that the increasing production of meth poses a threat to national and regional health and security, as it could disrupt the synthetic drug market and fuel addiction. Seizures of meth suspected to have come from Afghanistan have been reported in the European Union and East Africa. The Taliban, who declared a war on narcotics after returning to power, have prohibited the cultivation, production, sale, and use of all intoxicants and narcotics in Afghanistan, but the impact of their drug crackdown on meth supplies is yet to be assessed.