Afghan opium cultivation soars

A leading British drugs charity and research group says that opium production in Afghanistan has soared since the fall of the Taleban last year.

The organisation, Drugscope, says this year's opium poppy crop is expected to be up to 2,500 tonnes, compared to less than 200 tonnes last year.

The Taleban successfully reduced opium production during their rule in Afghanistan.

The director of Drugscope, Roger Howard, said the only way to stop the cultivation of opium was for the international community to support Afghanistan, and to give opium farmers another option.

Drugscope is organising a European conference on drugs trafficking and law enforcement which begins in Paris on Thursday.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service