A US-led global coalition aimed at addressing the threat of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and Captagon was launched on Friday at a ministerial-level meeting.
The coalition brings together 97 countries and international organisations, and will focus on combating the scourge of synthetic drugs.
In the US, synthetic opioids have become the leading cause of death in adults between the ages of 18 and 49.
“We believe the United States is a canary in the coal mine when it comes to fentanyl, an exceptionally addictive and deadly synthetic drug,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Mr Blinken said it was imperative that countries “act together with fierce urgency” to try to stem the tide.
“This declaration, simply put, signals our collective commitment to curb the threats from synthetic drugs through global partnerships among ourselves, in co-ordination with non-governmental stakeholders, including civil society and the private sector,” Mr Blinken said.
Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi attended the online meeting, as his country continues to grapple with the illegal Captagon trade that has plagued the Middle East in recent years.
“Jordan is at the forefront of this new war against synthetic drugs,” said Mr Safadi. “Hardly a week passes by without facing attempts to smuggle them into Jordan from across the border with Syria”
Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine-like substance originally created to treat children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder as well as people with narcolepsy, has become rampant in parts of the Middle East as authorities in the region race to crack down on what has become a multibillion-dollar illegal trade.
Experts believe the vast majority of Captagon is produced in Syria and the trade has been linked to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.
Mr Safadi said that in the past few years alone, Jordanian authorities had seized more than 65 million Captagon pills.
He said the only way to combat the trade was through a collaborative effort.
“We need to face it together and to pool all our resources,” he said. “We need to share border security technologies, share intelligence and indeed exchange knowledge.”
