Although fenethylline had gained sufficient popularity in the Arabian peninsula by 1986, captagon was still illegally produced, primarily in the former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. Currently, hundreds of millions of pills are produced in Syria and Lebanon, where most captagon is produced.
An amphetamine stimulant that was once legal was sold under the name “Captagon.” However, the term has long been used to refer to one of the most popular illegal substances in the Middle East.
When the German chemical company Chemiewerk Homburg first began marketing the stimulant fenethylline in 1961, captagon was one of the names used.
Narcolepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and, to a lesser extent, depression were all conditions for which the medication was marketed as a treatment.
In spite of the few instances of abuse, it was classified as a controlled substance in the United States in 1981 and is now listed by the World Health Organization as a psychotropic substance.
Although fenethylline had gained sufficient traction in the Arabian peninsula by 1986, captagon was still illegally manufactured, primarily in the former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria.
It shares a family tree with methamphetamine, a stronger synthetic stimulant that occasionally shows up in captagon in trace amounts.
Currently, hundreds of millions of pills are produced in Syria and Lebanon, where most captagon is produced.
SIDE EFFECTS
Fenethylline use over an extended period of time may cause severe depression, irritability, blurred vision, and cardiovascular issues.
The composition of the modern captagon can vary greatly, and very few of the millions of pills currently leaving the illicit labs in Syria and Lebanon contain any fenethylline.
The majority of pills contain amphetamine, but other potentially harmful ingredients include paracetamol, caffeine, quinine, and various anaesthetics.
Amphetamine abuse can lead to heart, muscle, and nerve damage, and the various bulking agents found in the pills also pose serious health risks.
HOW IT IS USED
Captagon can be crushed and snorted but is typically swallowed. Amphetamine decreases appetite and sleepiness while increasing certain types of brain activity that can result in feelings of increased attention and confidence.
Due to the drug’s versatility, it is used by a wide range of people, including high-powered professionals who need to stay focused for extended periods of time and students who stay up late studying for exams, or taxi drivers who work two jobs.
The wealthy use it to party all night in Saudi Arabia, its largest market, while many women use it to reduce their weight.
In Gulf nations, captagon is less frowned upon than cocaine or even alcohol.
APPEARANCE
If not for the two Cs pressed into every pill, Captagon’s shifting formula would make it challenging to distinguish it from other medications.
Because of its logo, Captagon is known as “Abu al-hilalain,” which means “the father of the two crescent moons.”
The drug’s pills come in hues of white, yellow, beige, and even pink due to the adulterants used in their manufacture. The Gulf will receive white pills, which are thought to be of the highest quality.
Captagon is typically sold in 200-pill “shad” bags adorned with a variety of logos, including those for Lexus, which has become increasingly popular in recent years, Range Rover, Lacoste, and occasionally a crescent and star or a swastika.
