Before writing his second book, Sydney-based author Gregor Salmon spent eight months researching war-torn Afghanistan.

He visited the poppy fields of Nangarhar and opium dens in the Wakhan Corridor – were he found communities ripped apart by heroin addiction.

He also gained unprecedented access to many of the tribal leaders and officials who have made their fortunes from the flourishing drug trade.

The release of his book, Poppy, this month follows the US Government’s recent policy shift in Afghanistan.

The Obama Administration now acknowledges the country’s impoverished farmers are more likely to turn to the Taliban for support if NATO continues to destroy their main cash crop.

But Gregor Salmon, who spoke to 2SER’s Alex McDonald, is not convinced that Obama’s new approach will put a dent in this multibillion-dollar business.