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Health & Medicine
Mahesh

15/08/24 10:18 AM IST

Drug Captagon

In News
  • Captagon, commonly known as “poor man’s cocaine,” has emerged as the drug of choice among young adults throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
Captagon
  • Captagon is a synthetic drug which was originally manufactured in Germany in the 1960s and 1970s where it was intended to treat attention deficit disorders.
  • Use of captagon is prevalent among young people in the Middle East, most commonly as a party drug.
  • Reports also suggest fighters in the Syrian conflict commonly use the drug to boost combat performance and reduce fatigue.
  • The pill contains fenethylline, a synthetic amphetamine, caffeine, and other stimulants.
  • Fenethylline is metabolized by the body into two molecules: amphetamine and theophylline, both of which are stimulants.
Addiction
  • Its effects on the nervous system are similar to amphetamine.
  • As a psychostimulant, Captagon can induce euphoria, increased wakefulness and increased physical and mental performance.
  • But heavy use carries risks of impaired cognitive function and cardiovascular defects. It can also be addictive.
  • A major issue is that some of the pills being produced in illicit labs contain high quantities of fenethylline.
  • The makeup of today’s Captagon can vary wildly, and the lack of knowledge increases the risk of them containing toxic chemicals.
Captagon Production
  • Syria has become the largest producer and exporter of Captagon over the last decade, leading experts to name it the Middle East’s narco state.
  • A UK government statement estimated that 80% of the world’s Captagon is produced in Syria.
  • Captagon’s popularity skyrocketed in Syria following the 2011 Arab Spring protests.
  • Investigative reports by major media outlets like the BBC have revealed how the Syrian drug industry facilitates all stages of Captagon production and smuggling.
  • Syrian President Bashar Assad has denied any organized efforts by his government to profit from the drug.
  • With severe international sanctions in place since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Captagon has become an economic lifeline for the Syrian government.
  • In 2021 alone, the Captagon drug trade had an estimated worth of $5.7 billion (€5.35 billion) in Syria.
  • The drug is predominantly exported to Gulf countries and neighboring Iraq and Jordan, often hidden in products like grains and fruits.
  • Hezbollah in Lebanon, a close ally of the Assad regime, is also reportedly a large manufacturer of the drug.
Export of Captagon
  • Captagon has become a major concern for countries in the Middle East like Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
  • All surrounding countries have strict anti-drug laws, with harsh penalties for those caught in the trade.
  • However, Captagon is still smuggled in large quantities from Syria and Lebanon.
  • Jordan is a serious player in the fight to stem the illegal trade.
  • The country’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, announced in July that more than 65 million Captagon pills had been seized over the last two years.
  • The Jordanian army has reportedly instituted a “shoot-to-kill” policy against drug smugglers along its border with Syria.
  • In August 2022, Saudi authorities seized over 46 million pills being smuggled in a shipment of flour passing through the Riyadh Dry Port.
  • Captagon is reportedly also being produced in the EU, predominantly in illegal laboratories in the Netherlands.
  • The drug is most commonly produced from amphetamine powder.
  • The EMCDDA report also underlines the need for coordinated EU action to tackle the production of Captagon within the EU, and prevent the EU being used as a transshipment zone for Captagon produced in the Middle East.
Source- Indian Express

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