00:25:40:03

Man and child on motorbike

Start

00:25:41:18

Market scenes

Narrator

Along the streets and bazaars of Kashgazar, little has changed.  British soldiers pass swiftly by on patrol.,  People here wait and hope that the security situation will improve but there’s little sign of that.  The British control in reality little more than their 45 bases here.  These streets by night are the Taliban’s, the smugglers, the bandits.  Few venture out after dusk.

00:26:08:03

Burning building

Narrator

The Taliban continue to burn down schools here and intimidate the teachers.  Six months ago our team went to Marjay close to Lashgazar and found the Taliban still burning the village school. 

00:26:27:13

Taliban rush in with guns

Narrator

For some minutes it appeared the Talibs were about to shoot our people.  But armed police suddenly stormed the school yard, the Talibs fled, and our team was then beaten by the Afghan police who assumed they were the Taliban.

00:26:49:22

In car

Narrator

Now six months on, the police are our firm friends and they took our team back to our school.  Either side of the road along the way, field after field of poppy.  Not even an issue for these officers, that’s just the way things are around here.

00:27:06:06

Mosque

Narrator

Also there, a brand new mosque built with Saudi money, nobody had touched that, but the school, still a wreck, nothing’s been done at all.

00:27:17:05

Police running with guns

Narrator

But what’s all this?  Suddenly the police charge off and arrest some junkies.  The police captain, Murat has some questions

00:27:28:14

Man smoking

V/O of police captain

If you’re going to waste everything you’ve got on drugs, whose going to look after your family?

00:27:33:24

V/O of smoking man

I’ve just started this, I haven’t thought about that.

00:27:36:20

V/O of police captain

Do you have any land?

00:27:38:10

V/O of smoking man

I have no land

00:27:39:16

V/O of police captain

So you’re poor?

00:27:41:08

V/O of smoking man

Yes, I’m poor.

00:27:44:23

V/O of police captain

Doesn’t your family get at you because of your drugs problem?

00:27:47:21

V/O of smoking man

No, because nobody knows so far.

00:27:51:19

Blackboard

Lighting up

Narrator

With the last lesson still on the blackboard from the day the Taliban came, they begin another smoke of heroin. The police around here have bigger problems., they are not interested in this.  Historically, drug addiction’s not been among Afghanistan’s biggest problems, but it’s getting serious now.  And captain Murat’s officers are saddened by what they find here.

00:28:14:22

Officer

V/O of officer

What a pity.  What a shame, look at him, such a young guy addicted to drugs and destroying his own life.  You find so many like him who are in a worse state.  You wonder, how can they survive the pain and suffering?  If our young generation is a victim of these drugs, how can we help build a nation?

00:28:34:04

Street / market

Heroin addict in wheelchair

A nation building is desperately needed.  Opium may have long been the staple industry sustaining life around the bazaars of Southern Afghanistan.  But it’s effect, heroin addiction, was largely a problem of the West.  The world of the end user, not a problem for the grower, but now that’s changing.  Besides exporting raw opium, Afghanistan’s become a major producer of heroin too.  So it’s simply available here, and in quantity  Addiction of course, bypasses the traditional ways, the teaching of the mosque, the rules of the schools before they were burnt down, the advice of parents, even the council of village elders.

00:29:14:20

Captain Murat stood in open ground, dusty

Narrator

So captain Murat’s at a loss, he confronts one elder.  Can’t he do something?

00:29:22:04

V/O Captain Murat

You know, all this is the action of our enemies, unfortunately the president we elected, Mr Karsi, isn’t strong enough or willing to tackle this, so we’ve got to be aware and take personal responsibility

00:29:35:09

Village elder

V/O Village Elder

I just don’t understand why nobody tackles this. 

00:29:39:01

V/O Police captain

You were the elders, you should be advising and guiding young people, and encouraging them not to use drugs.

00:29:44:24

V/O Village Elder

We advise them, but they say one thing, then do another, what can we do about that?

00:29:53:00

Man digging hole

Narrator

Six months ago Mohammed Harpos was teaching at the school, sent down here from the capital Kabul.  Now the school’s gone, he’s not being paid anymore, so he works at a local farm to make ends meet.  Yet when you talk to him, all his concerns are for the children he used to teach.

00:30:13:00

Mohammed Harpos

V/O Mohammed Harpos

Sadly it’s not looking at all good for the pupils, a lot of them have got into all kinds of trouble, many have got addicted to heroin and other drugs.  They’re even gambling.  Others who are still looked after by their families, are working like me on the farms.

00:30:29:20

Lighting up

And even as our camera rolls, in the village near the wrecked school, the pupils , now junkies, are recruiting new addicts.

00:30:37:18

Two men rolling, three boys greet them.  All sit in circle

V/O

Hello

00:30:38:21

V/O

Oh Hello

00:30:40:02

V/O

Hello mate. How are you?

Come and join us.

00:30:44:13

V/O

What are you up to?

00:30:46:09

V/O

Nothing much

00:30:47:13

V/O

What do you lot want to smoke? Cigarettes? A joint? Or do you want some heroin?

00:30:52:08

V/O

I just want a fag.

00:30:54:16

V/O

What fun do you get out of a cigarette?  Take some drugs. Enjoy life my friend.

00:30:59:04

V/O

I know I’ve tried drugs.

00:31:00:21

V/O

OK then give him a cigarette and a matchbox.  Here look, I’ve prepared a straw for you to smoke heroin, pass him this straw.

00:31:18:14

V/O

Try this, it’s called the button, try it and enjoy the life

00:31:26:13

V/O

Pass me the matchbox.

00:31:28:03

V/O

Pass it to him now.  Let him have some.

00:31:34:11

Narrator

And so it goes on, the spread of addiction.  Heroin rather literally filling the void here, where the school once stood.