Police said he was under the influence of Shabu, a methamphetamine, according to local papers.
According to them, the Kingdom is one of the largest and most profitable regional destinations for drugs, and its status is only growing.
Captagon was originally a brand name for a drug containing the synthetic stimulant phenethylline. Although no longer legally manufactured, counterfeit drugs bearing the Captagon name are regularly seized in the Middle East, according to the European Center for Drug and Addiction Surveillance.
The drug became popular in the kingdom about 15 years ago, but has gained even more momentum in the past five years, according to Vanda Felbab-Brown, a fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. It’s coming,” he said. I am writing about a topic.
Saudi Arabia’s International Communications Center did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
“Captagon’s amphetamine-type properties have been sought as a coping mechanism to help users survive hunger in the face of food shortages and to induce a euphoric ‘rush’ that users say helps with traumatic stress.” The New Lines Institute in Washington, DC, which studied the Captagon trade. “These same properties of Captagon are sought after by foreign workers in wealthy Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, and are also said to be thought to improve job performance.”
“In a market of wealthier consumers, the drug has a different appeal, and despite social reforms, youth unemployment is rampant and opportunities for leisure activities are scarce, and boredom suffers. It functions as a recreational activity with a growing youth population that is reportedly living there,” Rose said. “Some consumers justify Captagon as a less taboo substance compared to ‘more potent’ drugs such as opiates and cocaine.”
Many young people in Saudi Arabia use drugs as a result of boredom and lack of social opportunities, so the increased liberties introduced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could reduce some of that use. It may help.
“The important thing is not to restrict freedom or turn concerts into dragnets and raids, but to educate young people,” she told CNN.
Over the past few years, many drug rehabilitation centers have sprung up across the Kingdom after the government began licensing private facilities.
“Unfortunately, we are in high demand,” he told CNN.
Despite the existence of rehabilitation centers, there have been few public health messages or campaigns to raise awareness about the Captagon, according to Rose.
“While this taboo on drug consumption in the Kingdom will not go away, the government’s tendency to exclusively securitize this issue and downplay its role as a destination market will be difficult to ignore,” she said. rice field.
Felbab-Brown says the Middle East’s drug policy has focused on the toughest response.
“Unlike most of the world, [that] Moving away from these draconian, largely ineffective or outright counterproductive policies, the Middle East has often doubled down on them,” she said. “Locking users in is ineffective and counterproductive.”
digest
US says Iran’s response to EU proposal to revive nuclear deal ‘not constructive’
- Background: Earlier this week, at a press conference in Russia, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian said Iran needed assurances that the United States would not withdraw from the nuclear deal and reapply sanctions like those that occurred under the Trump administration. said it was.
- Important reasons: The US and Iran have exchanged responses to a “final” EU instrument aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he hopes the negotiations will be finished in a few days.French President Emmanuel Macron also said on Thursday that he hopes to conclude talks in the next few days. It is unclear how the negotiations will go from here as Iran continues to increase its uranium enrichment and break promises under the nuclear deal.
Four killed in Shiite clashes in Iraq’s Basra
Clashes between rival Shia groups killed four people in Iraq’s Basra on Thursday, Reuters reported, continuing the effects of the country’s worst political violence.Basra is Iraq’s main oil major. A production city, violence now spreads from Baghdad to the south.
- Background: Violence began earlier this week in Baghdad by a powerful Shia cleric. Muqtada al-Sadr announces resignation from political life. The move sparked violent political infighting between Iran-backed Shiite groups and Sadr’s supporters. Both sides have tried to exercise control since October 2021 parliamentary elections saw an Iran-backed bloc give up one’s seat to a sadistDespite his victory, Sadr was unable to establish a government amid opposition from his rivals.
- why it matters: This episode served as a reminder of the fragility of Baghdad’s government. Baghdad’s government has remained largely neutral in the crisis. So do domestic and foreign competitors who seek to dominate the country’s politics.
Turkish pop star could face up to three years in prison for joking about religious school
- Background: Gursen was jailed last week while he was on trial after a video circulating on social media showed him commenting on religious schools in Turkey, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. He said:[He] Imam Hatip Graduation [religious schools.] That’s where his kinky side comes from,” he said, pointing to a person on stage. She was subsequently released from custody but placed under house arrest.The Istanbul Criminal Court will review the indictment and decide whether to accept or reject it.
- Important reasons: Gursen has previously been targeted by conservative groups in Turkey for her skimpy stage costumes and support for the LGBTQ community. Her recent arrest has sparked outrage and support from fans on her media. Some critics say it is part of a move by Turkish authorities to gain support from her religious and conservative base ahead of her next year’s elections.
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Source: www.cnn.com
