What is Captagon?

If you haven’t heard much about the drug Captagon yet, chances are you soon will. Called the “poor man’s cocaine” in some parts of the world, fenethylline, better known by its former brand name, Captagon, is a powerful stimulant. Captagon isn’t exactly an amphetamine-like crystal methamphetamine, methylphenidate (Ritalin), or the amphetamine salts mixture sold as Adderall. Rather, Captagon is what is known as a codrug. A codrug is a drug that combines two different drugs in a single molecule. Captagon, for example, is a codrug of amphetamine and theophylline. 

Originally produced by the German pharmaceutical firm, Degussa AG, Captagon just missed the wave of ADHD medication popularity in the United States, however. The FDA determined it had no legitimate medical use and the federal government declared it a controlled substance here in 1981. The World Health Organization soon followed suit in 1986, adding it to its list of illicit psychoactive substances. With that, most countries made it illegal, and pharmaceutical companies ceased manufacturing it.

Why Isn’t Captagon Legal In America?

Captagon is currently a DEA Schedule I drug in the United States. That means it has no recognized legitimate medical use and the use and possession of fenethylline in any form is illegal here. It’s hard to say for certain why Captagon was made illegal while other powerful stimulants like Dexedrine, Ritalin, and Adderall were cleared by the FDA for prescription use to treat ADHD and narcolepsy, among other conditions. Not much was known about fenethylline in the early 80s when it was made illegal in the U.S. 

At that time there was very little illicit use being reported, so it isn’t as if it was banned in response to some sort of “Captagon crisis”. However, its codrug status makes it different from most other legal stimulants and amphetamine compounds on the market. There have also been reports of concerning side effects like hallucinations, confusion, and rage at higher doses. Now that Captagon is forever associated with ISIS soldiers, jihadi, and suicide bombers, it is unlikely to find its way off of DEA Schedule I and into your local Walgreens pharmacy. 

In fact, concern about fenethylline prompted Congress to pass The CAPTAGON Act (H.R.6265) in 2021. In essence, the CAPTAGON Act directs the DEA, Director of National Intelligence, and “appropriate agencies” to develop strategies to disrupt and dismantle President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad’s significant Captagon operation. 

Captagon is not legal in America, likely because of:

• Concerns about side effects, including hallucinations, rage, and disorientation.
• The fact that we have other safer, proven drugs in the stimulant class. 
• A lack of research showing it to be safe and effective.
• Captagon’s lack of any known legitimate medical use.

What Does Captagon Feel Like?

As a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, Captagon’s effects are similar to most amphetamines, like crystal meth. It increases alertness and focus and creates mild euphoria. It can make people less likely to feel fatigued and able to remain physically active without sleep for days on end if they take enough of it. Insomnia is one of the notorious side effects of amphetamines and amphetamine-like drugs. Not sleeping for more than 24 hours in a row has its own side effects, of course. 

It can be difficult to determine which effects are from a multi-day Captagon ‘bender’ and which are simply a result of a lack of sleep. Not sleeping for 2 days or more can cause visual and auditory hallucinations. Captagon’s classification as a codrug makes it different from other amphetamines and this may explain some of its more unusual side effects. Fenethylline users report “feeling invincible” and feelings of anger and rage, for example. 

Captagon’s physical side effects may include:

• Rapid heartbeat
• Heart arrhythmia
• Blurred vision
• Dry mouth
• Vertigo
• Muscle cramps

Captagon’s psychological side effects may include:

• Extreme alertness
• Anger and rage
• Feelings of invincibility/invulnerability
• Disorientation and confusion
• Anxiety
• Impatience

Why Are U.S. Authorities So Worried About Captagon?

U.S. authorities are worried about Captagon for many of the same reasons that America’s allies in Europe are. Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria is unfriendly towards the U.S. and its allies and Captagon is a source of reliable revenue that has become Syria’s #1 export product. In addition to that, U.S. troops (and hired mercenaries from companies like XD) have reported contact with plenty of enemy combatants high on Captagon. Fighters under the influence of the drug are said to continue charging forward, even after being shot and exhibit other bizarre behaviors.

Captagon smuggling into Europe is a rapidly growing problem.. It is believed that more than 200 million tablets may be smuggled into the European Union every year. The largest drug seizure of fenethylline thus far was in the port of Salerno, Italy in 2020 when 84 million tablets were seized in a single bust. It has the added advantage of making it easier for grunts and foot soldiers to work harder, longer and perhaps even gives them a little extra bravery before entering battle.

Authorities in the United States are concerned that the ease of manufacture and highly addictive nature of Captagon make it almost inevitable that it will land in the U.S. sooner or later and take root. The U.S. is arguably the biggest market for recreational drugs in the world. We consume more opioids per person than any other country in the world. 

Some people feel that our culture is too hedonistic and focused on pleasure-seeking at the cost of all else and this contributes to America’s addiction problem. The other concern authorities have of course is the link between Captagon and Middle Eastern terror networks like ISIS and Al-Qaeda. A “perfect storm” scenario could see the U.S. caught up in a Captagon addiction crisis that is simultaneously financing the al-Assad regime and enriching terrorist organizations. 

The Connection Between Captagon and Terrorism

The blackballing by the U.S. DEA and WHO might have been the end of Captagon if not for organized crime and black market entrepreneurs in the Middle East, who discovered that Fenethylline is relatively cheap and easy to make. No one is quite sure exactly where and when black market fenethylline manufacturing began. 

But all signs seem to indicate it started sometime in the early 2000s.  It is believed that Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime is largely responsible for the explosion in Captagon use and production in the Middle East. To this day, in fact, clandestine labs financed directly by the Syrian government produce tons of fenethylline tablets for export. The pro-Iranian terror group, Hezbollah based in Lebanon, also appears to be substantially invested in Captagon production and trafficking. 

The fact that fenethylline is fairly easy and inexpensive to make made it attractive to organized crime, terrorist organizations and the Syrian government. All three were interested in finding new revenue streams and not particularly concerned about the threat to public health and society as a whole the influx of Captagon tablets could mean. ISIS fighters and mercenaries in the Middle East like Captagon because it made it easier for them to march through the night and many reported it made them feel more courageous before battle.

What is Being Done About Captagon?

Captagon was added to the DEA’s Schedule I more than 40 years ago and has been globally recognized as an illicit drug for decades. Because of this, there isn’t much more that can be done in terms of prohibition. The Western world seems to be ahead of the curve on this particular drug threat. The problem of course is that lots of other drugs are prohibited or tightly controlled by law and yet still readily available in the U.S. everywhere from street corners to frat parties and the dark web. 

However, U.S. and European authorities aren’t sitting still on this issue. In 2022, the U.S. Congress passed a new law called The CAPTAGON Act which instructs the Director of National Intelligence to work with all “appropriate agencies” to develop a plan to undermine and dismantle Bashar al-Assad’s Captagon production empire. Further legislation to disrupt the production and distribution of the drug has been making its way through Congress throughout 2023. The U.S. authorities are also working closely with Europol and individual EU nations to combat the problem using a combination of sanctions and interdiction.  

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