Cultivation of opium poppies fell in northern Afghanistan but increased 45 percent in Helmand Province, where Taliban rebels use proceeds from international drug trafficking to fund their war against the Afghan government and its western allies.

The New York Times reported Aug. 26 that in the wake of the U.N. report, William B. Wood, the U.S. Ambassador in Afghanistan, said, "I think it is safe to say that we should be looking for a new strategy. And I think that we are finding one."

But the U.S., which has already spent more than $600 million fighting drugs in Afghanistan, is said to be considering more intense eradication and interdiction efforts, including the possibility of spraying poppy crops with herbicides. The Afghan government opposes spraying, however.

The Taliban encourages farmers to grow poppies and protects those that do. They also have opened some processing plants to turn raw opium into more valuable heroin. The U.S. wants to encourage farmers to grow alternative crops, but poppies are 10 times more valuable than wheat. And officials said any such programs are doomed to failure unless security improves.

Local Afghan officials also said that Western nations need to decrease demand for drugs alongside eradication efforts.