"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

What is the drug Captagon and what does it need to do with Syria's crumbling Assad regime?

Syria has large stockpiles of illegal drugs for the reason that fall of the al-Assad regime. has allegedly been exposed.

The stockpile found by Syrian rebels is believed to be linked to al-Assad's military headquarters. Influencing a Declining Government In the manufacture and distribution of medication.

But as we'll see, captagon was once a pharmaceutical drug, like a number of the legally available stimulants we still use today for conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). .

Captagon was once a pharmaceutical.

Captagon is definitely the unique brand name of an old synthetic pharmaceutical stimulant. Made in Germany in the 1960s.. It was a substitute for amphetamine and methamphetamine, which were used as drugs on the time.

There is medicine Active ingredient phenethylline And it was initially marketed as including conditions ADHD and the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Its use was just like a number of the legally available stimulants we still use today, e.g dexamphetamine.

Captagon has. Similar effects for amphetamines. It increases dopamine within the brain, which results in feelings of well-being, happiness and excitement. It also improves focus, concentration and stamina. But it has many unwanted unwanted effects, corresponding to low-grade psychosis.

The drug was originally sold mostly within the Middle East and parts of Europe. It was available over-the-counter (and not using a prescription) in Europe before it became prescription only.

It was only briefly approved within the US before becoming a controlled substance within the Eighties, but still legal relatively recently for the treatment of narcolepsy in lots of European countries.

According to International Narcotics Control Board Pharmaceutical production of Captagon was discontinued by 2009.

Illegal trade took over.

The pirated version is normally called Captagon (with a lowercase C). It is usually called “Chemical courageBecause they're considered used to supply focus and energy to soldiers in war-torn areas of the Middle East.

For example, it has reportedly been found on Dead bodies of Hamas soldiers During the conflict with Israel

Its preparation is relative. Straightforward and cheapmaking it an obvious goal for the black market drug trade.

Black Market Captagon It is now produced almost exclusively in Syria and surrounding countries. Lebanon. It is used mostly within the Middle East, incl Funnily enough In some Gulf states.

This is some of the. Commonly used illegal drugs within the evening.

Oh Recent report Suggests Captagon earns US$7.3 billion (about $2.4 billion annually) in Syria and Lebanon between 2020 and 2022.

What we do learn about illegal drugs is that any seizure or crackdown on manufacture or sale has a really limited effect on the drug market as one other manufacturer or distributor fills the demand.

So in all likelihood, given the dimensions of the captagon market within the Middle East, these latest drug discoveries and seizures are only likely to cut back production for a short while.