Amid the political turmoil in Syria, several shocking revelations have been emerging about Al-Assad's ousted regime. In this regard, a drug named Captagon has hogged the limelight. Large stockpiles of the illicit drug Captagon have been uncovered, which are reportedly linked to al-Assad military headquarters. The development hints towards the fallen regime's involvement in the drug’s manufacture and distribution.
Captagon, which is the original brand name of an old synthetic pharmaceutical stimulant manufactured in Germany in the 1960s, has been used as an alternative to amphetamine and methamphetamine. Both of these were used as medicines at the time.
It once used to be a pharmaceutical drug, similar to some of the legally available stimulants we still use today for conditions including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
What does the drug Captagon contain?
The drug contains the active ingredient fenethylline and it was initially marketed for conditions including ADHD and the sleeping disorder narcolepsy. It used to have a similar use to some of the legally available stimulants brought into application 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.
Brief history of the drug
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. However, it was still legal for the treatment of narcolepsy in many European countries until relatively recently.
According to the International Narcotics Control Board, the pharmaceutical manufacture of Captagon had stopped by 2009. 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.
(With inputs from agency)
