In a bid to stop a dramatic increase in drug production in war-torn Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai has made anti-drug efforts a "top priority" in his new government. Karzai believes illegal drug activities are the "most significant threat" to the country's national interests, said a statement released by the presidential office late Thursday. Karzai, who served as interim president before winning the country's first direct presidential election last month, said the drug threat could even be bigger than terrorism in the region. He said that while the anti-drug campaign would focus on the destruction of poppy seed crops, the efforts would not stop there. Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of pure opium, the main ingredient in heroin. A report released on Thursday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the growing and cultivation of opium in Afghanistan has risen 64 per cent this year. A spokesman for Karzai recently announced the creation of an anti-drug ministry to deal with the drug production problem. The new government plans to begin its new anti-drug efforts early next month. --SP 1339 Local Time 1039 GMT
