Pills and Pollution: Captagon Production in Syria

Oct 1, 2025 | Leon Moreland
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Captagon is the street name for fenethylline, a synthetic stimulant created by chemically bonding amphetamine, a powerful central nervous system stimulant, with theophylline, a drug similar to caffeine commonly used to treat respiratory conditions. Developed in Germany in the 1960s, fenethylline was prescribed for conditions such as ADHD and narcolepsy. However, due to misuse and addiction, manufacturing was banned in 1986. Following the ban, production went underground with illicit fenethylline booming in south eastern Europe and parts of Asia.