The emerging narcotics nexus between Southwest Asia, where a majority of the world's opium/heroin is produced, and Central Asia, where the majority of such drugs transit, is growing as international traffickers seek the easiest and most profitable routes to the West and recognize new opportunities to expand their business to the Former Soviet Union. This region, otherwise known as the 'Golden Crescent', produces enough drugs to meet the annual use of the United States, Europe and Central Asia combined. There is some cooperation between the countries of Pakistan, India and Iran to help control drug production and trafficking, and international funding and policy pressure from the United Nations and the United States have made some impact in the international battle against narcotics. Nevertheless, Central Asia remains a hot spot for the illicit drug trade and the narcotics industry is deeply embedded in this region's economy.

For example, while poppy cultivation and opium production remains low in Pakistan following the 1979 revolution during which poppy crops were eradicated, the opium trade has tripled in neighboring Afghanistan over the past few years and large amounts of raw opium and heroin are now being brought across the remote and generally un-policed Afghan/Pakistan border making Pakistan a large importer of opium. This ongoing explosion in supply of opiates also fuels a growing consumer market for opiates in Pakistan with 3 million heroin addicts reported in 1993 - one of the highest drug addiction rates in the world. Consequently, demand reduction has become a top priority for the Pakistani government. Pakistan illicit drug laws include 5 years imprisonment, plus a whipping and a fine for violating import, export, manufacture or processing regulations. People believed to be involved in the sale or trade of opium face life imprisonment and fines.

Iran, which also borders with Afghanistan, has become a major bridge linking the drug production zone to the lucrative consumer markets of the Persian Gulf, Turkey, Russia and Europe. According to the UNDCP, 90 per cent of the worldwide morphine and opium seizures occur in Iran and the past 10 years has seen an increase in the number of drug seizures with each passing year. Despite this achievement Afghanistan opium stocks have reached record highs and consequently, it is believed that large amounts of narcotics will continue to flow through Iran. The country's anti-narcotic laws cover all aspects of offensive drug control. Punishments include fines plus lashings for smuggling opium or cannabis, and death penalty sentencing may be imposed for smuggling/selling/distributing illicit drugs, although is generally reserved for drug lords, organized criminals and armed traffickers. Since Iran's prisons and hospitals are being filled with drug users the government recently reformed drug laws to recognize addiction as a disease rather than a criminal offense. One treatment clinic is even experimenting with methadone treatment. The government hopes that this change in tactics may slow the flood of drugs into the country.

India is one of the world's top producers of licit opium, a business monitored by the Indian Central Bureau of Narcotics. However, reports reveal that tons of the licit opium is diverted to illegal markets, converted to heroin and sold. Heroin use has effectively replaced opium and cannabis use. A growing number of people are also using licitly manufactured drugs, in particular codeine based cough syrups and benzodiazepines, which are ingested, snorted and injected, often in combination with illicit drugs like heroin. The main reason for this increase seems to be the lack of uniformity in monitoring compliance with prescription requirements. Drug laws have recently been altered allowing less severe prison sentences for those who prove possession for personal use only and such offenders are also given the option of attending detoxification centers in place of imprisonment. Other drug related offenders generally receive 10 to 20 year jail terms plus substantial fines. For those with previous convictions, the death penalty can be imposed.