Most worldwide heroin originates in which region?

• A. Afghanistan
• B. Colombia
• C. Northern Burma
• D. Laos

Answer: (A)

Heroin is derived from opium poppies, and the region that supplies the vast majority of the world’s opium—and thus heroin precursors—is Afghanistan. For decades Afghanistan has been the top opium producer, thanks to favorable growing conditions in its mountainous areas, the high value of poppy cultivation, and ongoing conflict and governance challenges that complicate enforcement and eradication. This large-scale opium production feeds clandestine labs that convert opium into heroin, which then moves through trafficking networks to global markets. Historically, other areas like the Golden Triangle (northern Burma and Laos) played major roles, but Afghanistan has surpassed them in recent decades. Colombia is known for coca and cocaine, not heroin.