َAt least 500 addicts who were treated in Herat have been hired to work in the salt mine of the province as a result of an agreement between the counter-narcotics department of Herat and the salt extraction company.
The counter-narcotics department of Herat has been treating these drug users for about five months with the people’s financial support.
“We provide the facilities for the people we transfer, including food and expenses and accommodation,” said Nasser Omid, head of the salt mining company.
“I spent around four months in the facility before leaving. Now, thank God, I’m really happy, with Allah. I am clean, healthy, and I live healthy,” said Abdul Salam, a drug user who has received treatment.
“We are ready to go to work and provide bread for our families,” said Abdul Latif, another drug user who has received treatment.
Local officials in Herat said that they would not let the addicts leave their treatment facilities until they were provided employment possibilities.
“We sent about 24 individuals to them in the first phase a few days ago, and now we have gathered about 50 people to send to them. We have spoken to them about 500 people,” said Hayatullah Rouhani, director of the counter-narcotics department of Herat Police Command.
The counter-narcotics department of Herat gathered over 5,000 drug users from the city of Herat over the previous winter and registered them in addiction treatment centers.
Most of these addicts, according to department officials, have received treatment and are now prepared to reintegrate into society.
