After the autumn of the al-Assad regime in Syria, massive stockpiles of the illicit drug captagon have reportedly been uncovered.
The stockpiles, discovered by Syrian rebels, are believed to be linked to al-Assad army headquarters, implicating the fallen regime within the drug’s manufacture and distribution.
But as we’ll see, captagon was as soon as a pharmaceutical drug, much like a few of the legally accessible stimulants we nonetheless use as we speak for situations together with attention-deficit hyperactivity dysfunction (ADHD).
Captagon was as soon as a pharmaceutical
Captagon is the unique model identify of an outdated artificial pharmaceutical stimulant initially made in Germany within the Nineteen Sixties. It was a substitute for amphetamine and methamphetamine, which had been each used as medicines on the time.
The drug has the energetic ingredient fenethylline and was initially marketed for situations together with ADHD and the sleeping dysfunction narcolepsy. It had an identical use to a few of the legally accessible stimulants we nonetheless use as we speak, similar to dexamphetamine.
Captagon has related results to amphetamines. It will increase dopamine within the mind, resulting in emotions of wellbeing, pleasure and euphoria. It additionally improves focus, focus and stamina. But it has a variety of undesirable unwanted side effects, similar to low-level psychosis.
The drug was initially bought principally within the Middle East and elements of Europe. It was accessible over-the-counter (with out a prescription) in Europe for a short while earlier than it grew to become prescription-only.
It was authorised solely briefly within the United States earlier than turning into a managed substance within the Nineteen Eighties, however was nonetheless authorized for the therapy of narcolepsy in lots of European international locations till comparatively lately.
According to the International Narcotics Control Board pharmaceutical manufacture of Captagon had stopped by 2009.
The illicit commerce took over
The illegally manufactured model is often known as captagon (with a small c). It is usually known as “chemical braveness” as a result of it’s thought for use by troopers in war-torn areas of the Middle East to assist in giving them focus and vitality.
For occasion, it’s been reportedly discovered on the our bodies of Hamas troopers throughout the battle with Israel.
Its manufacture is comparatively simple and cheap, making it an apparent goal for the black-market drug commerce.
Black-market captagon is now practically completely manufactured in Syria and surrounding international locations similar to Lebanon. It’s principally used within the Middle East, together with recreationally in some Gulf states.
It is without doubt one of the mostly used illicit medication in Syria.
A current report suggests captagon generated greater than US$7.3 billion in Syria and Lebanon between 2020 and 2022 (about $2.4 billion a yr).
What we learn about illicit medication usually is that any seizures or crackdowns on manufacturing or sale have a really restricted influence on the drug market as a result of one other producer or distributor pops as much as meet demand.
So in all chance, given the scale of the captagon market within the Middle East, these newest drug discoveries and seizures are more likely to cut back manufacture just for a short while.
