Why Seychelles Has the World's Worst Heroin Problem
Submitted by Samantha Allen
- 22 November 2019
Known for its coral reefs, mangroves and white sandy beaches, 360,000 tourists travel to the Indian Ocean archipelago each year for a holiday of a lifetime. But look beyond the private islands, the boutique resorts and high-end restaurants, and the small nation is battling a heroin epidemic of huge proportions. Between 5,000 and 6,000 people out of a total population of 94,000 - the equivalent of nearly 10% of the working population - are addicted to heroin, according to the Agency for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation (APDAR) in the Seychelles.