The Lethal Rise of Synthetic Drugs: A Global Crisis and International Response

A report by Yara Dergham, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

 

Synthetic drugs were originally made for medical purposes, to treat diseases or alleviate pain, but they have turned into substances with a higher fatality rate than armed violence and traffic accidents according to the latest study conducted by the American Medical Association.

 

These medicines have become toxic substances by adding chemicals such as benzene and kerosene, to the extent that there are now over 600 chemical compositions used in the manufacture of lethal drugs. 

 

Drugs in all their forms are dangerous, and they have become even more dangerous since entering the global trade sector, to the point where they constitute what is known as the war on drugs.

 

The Arab world, and Lebanon in particular, is not far from these circumstances. According to security sources, the Captagon that has been seized, along with other drugs found in the Lebanese market, is mostly manufactured in Lebanon, but the majority of it comes ready-made from outside, specifically from Syria via land routes. In 2023 alone, 23 million Captagon pills were seized within the country.

 

Ultimately, synthetic drugs in all their various forms, including those that contain opioids, are stronger than heroin by 50 times and morphine by 100 times, meaning they can kill directly.

 

In the face of such a crisis and epidemic witnessed worldwide, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) convened its 67th session in Vienna to discuss strategies that can be implemented to curb the spread and trafficking of lethal drugs. Despite international efforts to mitigate the disaster year after year, the concern remains about the human mind's ability to sometimes lean towards evil rather than good.