FARMERS who grow the crops that produce heroin were told of the devastation it causes in East Lancashire during a visit to the area.
The two ends of the opium trail came together as residents whose communities are affected by heroin abuse met the Afghanistan farmers in Blackburn.
More than 90 per cent of the heroin sold on UK streets is from the poppy fields of Afghanistan, and the British government is planning to lobby for eradication the country's opium crops to curb its cultivation.
Four farmers have travelled to Britain to urge the Government to scrap these plans.
They were brought over by the Senlis Council, an international drug policy think-tank, which opposes crop destruction and has recommended the farmers' livelihoods are saved by licensing them to cultivate opium to make pain-relief medicines.
Ahead of a meeting with MPs at the House of Commons, the four farmers visited Blackburn to meet with members of the town's Citizen's Jury, which was set up two years ago and has discussed the impact heroin abuse has on communities.
During the meeting, which was held at Cafe Dil, in Victoria Street, Janet Davies, 25, of Whitendale Crescent, Audley, told the farmers heroin use had destroyed people's lives in Blackburn.
She said: "I know quite a few people who do take drugs, people have lost their family and friends through it all. One of my friends has had her children taken off her because of drugs.
"There are people in this area who can tell us lots of stories about how drugs has affected them."
Janet added drug users often turned to crime to feed their habits, which also had an impact on communities.
The farmers, who earlier in the day visited the Ghosia Mosque, in Chester Street, where they met the Imam, Hafiz Sagir, told local people growing other crops did not generate enough income for them to survive.
Mohammad Ata, who is from the Tajek tribe of the Parwan province, said: "My life is very difficult. With the money I am earning through growing wheat, corn and vegetables even once a month I am not able to buy a kilo of meat for my family."
Badruddin Mian, from the Pansher province, said he had sympathy with people addicted to heroin.
He said: "It is very bad these people in the young generation are addicted.
"But their families must pressure them and encourage them to stop.
"There should be people to advise them and tell them that it is destroying them and their family."
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