Drugs make their way into Pakistan through neighboring Afghanistan, with one estimate suggesting a drugs market of over USD 2 billion annually, where 44 tons of processed heroin is consumed by people varying in age between 15 and 64 years. 

An additional USD 30 billion of drugs flow through Pakistan to international markets, primarily in the US and Europe. 

The drug epidemic is acute in Pakistan, and more people die of overdose and drug-related complications every year than they do from terrorism. 

In a country where almost a fourth of all drug users are female, the rate of increase of drug users is 40,000 per year. Also, with 2 million addicts, Pakistan is among the most drug-affected countries in the world. 

The use of injection drugs, alongside cocaine and amphetamine, is also sharply on the uptick, increasing from an estimated 90,000 in 2007 to 500,000 in 2014. 

This segment of drug users is exposed to the dangers of HIV contamination, with fears of an HIV epidemic looming large. 

It is estimated that 11% of all drug users in Pakistan are HIV positive. 

The problem is now spreading to educational institutions, with even high schools gripped by rising incidence of drug abuse. 

Medical treatment and specialist interventions remain in short supply, whereas the rising prevalence of drug abuse suggests that authorities have been unable to curb its smuggling into, and through Pakistan. 

Afghanistan remains the top producer of heroin in the world, supplying 75% of its heroin. 

Endless wars and lawlessness, combined with remote terrain provide a fertile breeding ground for opium cultivation.