The Politics of Prohibition

This chapter looks at Afghanistan’s involvement in the legal trade of opium and why Afghanistan eventually banned production and sale. During the 1930s and 1940s, Afghanistan actively traded opium with a host European and Asian countries, and by World War II, increased opium exports to the United States. This proved critical to the future of drug control. Although Afghanistan proved to have an abundance of high-quality opium, American officials feared the Afghan government lacked control. In an effort to solidify international drug controls, the US agreed to expand diplomatic relations and invest heavily in economic development, in exchange for Afghanistan prohibiting drugs in 1945. Although the prohibition failed, it was the first instance of Afghanistan using drug control as a means improving diplomatic channels to help build the Afghan state.