Context: 

As global isolation of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad comes to an end with the Arab League reinstating Syria as its member, the discussions on the trade of Captagon pills have taken the centre-stage once again.

About Captagon:

• Captagon is a highly addictive amphetamine-type drug, which is produced mainly in Syria and widely smuggled across West Asia.
• The original Captagon contained fenethylline, a synthetic drug of the phenethylamine family to which amphetamine also belongs.
• The currently prominently used Captagon is actually a counterfeit version of a medicine with the same brand name which was first produced in the 1960s by the German company Degussa Pharma Gruppe. 
• Uses: They were manufactured to help treat attention deficit disorders, narcolepsy and other conditions.
  • It stimulates the central nervous system, providing “a boost of energy, enhance someone’s focus, let someone stay awake for longer periods of time, and produce a feeling of euphoria.
  • A person consuming any amphetamine-based drug might feel some sort of placebo effect though, which could lead to erratic behaviours.
• Side Effects: Loss of appetite and weight, heart problems such as fast heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and heart attack, which can lead to death. 

News Source: Indian Express

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