KABUL – Afghanistan *Public health ministry officials have raised concernabout the alarmingly high number of female drug addicts in the country.*

According to them at least one million women and 100,000 children are drugaddicts.

Last year officials stated that three million people were addicts, but thenew figure of one million female addicts could mean the total number ismuch higher than initially thought.

Shahpor Yusuf, the head of the anti-drug department at the public healthministry, said on Sunday at an event to mark International Women’s Day thatthe number of child addicts was also extremely high – at 100,000.

The children, officials said, were all below the age of 10.

Sunday’s ceremony was held at a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul.

“There are between 900,000 and million women and around 100,000 childrenwho have turned to drugs,” Yusuf said.

A number of women at the ceremony said they turned to drugs as theirhusbands were addicts.

“I took on drug as my husband was using at home,” Naznin, a woman said.

“Bringing us here (for treatment) will have not results. When we leavehere, again we will turn to drug as long as there are smugglers (anddealers). They should be stopped. It is the reality,” Marwa Musavi, anotherwoman said.

Currently, there are at least 20 drug rehabilitation centers across thecountry that treat women and children. Officials have said however thatthere are not enough centers to treat women and children.