AT News KABUL: Health officials said that at least 300 drug addicts were dismissed from hospital after receiving medical treatment in Ibn-e-Sina, a 1000-bed health facility. This comes as 2.5 million people use drugs; off whom, half a million become addicted, bearing difficult lives. Public Health Minister, Ahmad Javad Osmani said Tuesday that these addicts were brought to Kabul from eastern Nangarhar province. “They were treated with good manners and they reunited with their families,” Osmani said. He said that the ministry would boost up efforts to combat the challenges of drug addiction and that it would place the issue on its priorities. The ministry of health in cooperation with Kabul municipality would form several drug rehab centers in Kabul. Osmani said that another 400 drug addicts would be registered for treatment. Despite many other challenges of insecurity, fragile economy and feeble health system, Afghanistan is known as one of the top countries that produce a large percentage of narcotics. According to some reports, the southern province of Helmand produces almost half of the world’s opium.