Tramadol, captagon and khat use in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: opening Pandora's box
Hossein Mohaddes Ardabili, Abolfazl Akbari, Parnian Rafei, Jenna L. Butner, Riaz Khan, Yasser Khazaal, Abdulmalik Zuhair Arab, Mohammed Rafiq Qazizada, Basma Al‐Ansari, Alex Baldacchino
Abstract
As defined by the World Health Organization, the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), given its special geopolitical situation and internal/external conflicts, faces an increase in illegal activities such as drug production and trafficking, highlighting the need for a comprehensive understanding of the substance use situation. On the basis of a review of published papers between 2015 and 2021 we briefly review substance use in the EMR with special focus on the emerging drugs pertinent to this region, namely tramadol, captagon and khat.
Topics & Concepts
KhatTramadolGeopoliticsPsychoactive substancePolitical scienceGeographyMedicinePsychiatryLawPoliticsAnalgesicOpioid Use Disorder TreatmentVeterinary Pharmacology and AnesthesiaPoisoning and overdose treatments