News | Health & Safety
16 Dec 2024 12:43
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Health & Safety

    What is the drug captagon and how is it linked to Syria’s fallen Assad regime?

    Captagon was once a pharmaceutical drug but it’s now made illicitly, generating billions of dollars for the Syrian economy.

    Nicole Lee, Adjunct Professor at the National Drug Research Institute (Melbourne based), Curtin University
    The Conversation


    After the fall of the al-Assad regime in Syria, large stockpiles of the illicit drug captagon have reportedly been uncovered.

    The stockpiles, found by Syrian rebels, are believed to be linked to al-Assad military headquarters, implicating the fallen regime in the drug’s manufacture and distribution.

    But as we’ll see, captagon was once a pharmaceutical drug, similar to some of the legally available stimulants we still use today for conditions including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

    Captagon was once a pharmaceutical

    Captagon is the original brand name of an old synthetic pharmaceutical stimulant originally made in Germany in the 1960s. It was an alternative to amphetamine and methamphetamine, which were both used as medicines at the time.

    The drug has the active ingredient fenethylline and was initially marketed for conditions including ADHD and the sleeping disorder narcolepsy. It had a similar use to some of the legally available stimulants we still use today, such as dexamphetamine.

    Captagon has similar effects to amphetamines. It increases dopamine in the brain, leading to feelings of wellbeing, pleasure and euphoria. It also improves focus, concentration and stamina. But it has a lot of unwanted side effects, such as low-level psychosis.

    The drug was originally sold mostly in the Middle East and parts of Europe. It was available over the counter (without a prescription) in Europe for a short time before it became prescription-only.

    It was approved only briefly in the United States before becoming a controlled substance in the 1980s, but was still legal for the treatment of narcolepsy in many European countries until relatively recently.

    According to the International Narcotics Control Board pharmaceutical manufacture of Captagon had stopped by 2009.

    The illicit trade took over

    The illegally manufactured version is usually referred to as captagon (with a small c). It is sometimes called “chemical courage” because it is thought to be used by soldiers in war-torn areas of the Middle East to help give them focus and energy.

    For instance, it’s been reportedly found on the bodies of Hamas soldiers during the conflict with Israel.

    Its manufacture is relatively straightforward and inexpensive, making it an obvious target for the black-market drug trade.

    Black-market captagon is now nearly exclusively manufactured in Syria and surrounding countries such as Lebanon. It’s mostly used in the Middle East, including recreationally in some Gulf states.

    It is one of the most commonly used illicit drugs in Syria.

    A recent report suggests captagon generated more than US$7.3 billion in Syria and Lebanon between 2020 and 2022 (about $2.4 billion a year).

    What we know about illicit drugs generally is that any seizures or crackdowns on manufacturing or sale have a very limited impact on the drug market because another manufacturer or distributor pops up to meet demand.

    So in all likelihood, given the size of the captagon market in the Middle East, these latest drug discoveries and seizures are likely to reduce manufacture only for a short time.

    The Conversation

    Nicole Lee works as a paid consultant to the alcohol and other drug sector. She has previously been awarded grants by state and federal governments, NHMRC and other public funding bodies for alcohol and other drug research. She is a Board member of The Loop Australia.

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
    © 2024 TheConversation, NZCity

     Other Health & Safety News
     16 Dec: Four Australians in hospital in Fiji after suspected alcohol poisoning
     16 Dec: Not all New Zealanders are onboard with the idea of genetically modified food
     15 Dec: Gaza's doctors, journalists and rescuers are dying amid allegations of Israel's 'pattern of impunity'
     15 Dec: Recruitment's underway for a new clinical trial - looking to tackle a challenging type of cancer
     14 Dec: A push for greater access to a test, that could help catch life-threatening respiratory diseases
     14 Dec: The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation wants the word out, about spirometry
     14 Dec: Luigi Mangione's UnitedHealthcare link refuted after Brian Thompson's death
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    A dramatic end to the latest chapter in one of football's most fierce rivalries More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    The cost of a Kiwi holiday continues to rise More...



     Today's News

    Health & Safety:
    Four Australians in hospital in Fiji after suspected alcohol poisoning 12:27

    Living & Travel:
    A Qantas flight from Christchurch to Melbourne turned around twice, this morning 12:27

    Technology:
    Police don't believe there's a genuine risk at Nelson schools that were sent threatening emails this morning 11:57

    Business:
    The cost of a Kiwi holiday continues to rise 11:57

    Law and Order:
    Arthur Easton's family are supporting the Police call for for information leading to an arrest over his murder in 1985 - with a reward offered 11:17

    Politics:
    Bali five return to Australia, and don’t have to serve more prison time 11:17

    Politics:
    Israel plans to double its settlers in the occupied Golan Heights after fall of Syrian regime 11:17

    Soccer:
    Chelsea and Tottenham have secured contrasting English Premier League victories 10:47

    National:
    Christmas adverts: decoding the trusted formula used to pull on consumers’ heart strings 10:27

    Rugby:
    A dramatic end to the latest chapter in one of football's most fierce rivalries 10:27


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2024 New Zealand City Ltd