What is Pink Cocaine? Understanding the Drug Behind Liam Payne’s Tragic Death
A toxicology report revealed that Liam Payne, former One Direction member, had multiple drugs in his system, including “pink cocaine,” at the time of his tragic death after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
What Exactly is Pink Cocaine?
Despite its misleading name, pink cocaine doesn’t actually contain any cocaine. Instead, it refers to a powdery mix of ketamine and other illicit substances, such as methamphetamine, MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy or molly), opioids, or new psychoactive drugs. It may also contain caffeine, as noted by the National Capital Poison Center (NCPC).
The drug gets its “pink” color from food dyes, and although it’s sometimes called tusi, tucibi, or tuci, experts explain that it rarely includes the psychedelic drug 2C-B, a compound developed in 1974 by chemists Alexander and Ann Shulgin. The active ingredient most commonly found in pink cocaine is ketamine, an anesthetic, which has been linked to dangerous street drug mixtures, including those known as “happy water” or “k-powdered milk,” popular in Latin America and Thailand.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, ketamine-based drugs can be highly toxic, causing issues such as cardiovascular and respiratory problems, bladder damage, anxiety, panic attacks, and more.
The Risks and Effects of Pink Cocaine
Because pink cocaine is a mixture of different illicit substances, it’s difficult to predict how it will affect an individual. As Bridget Brennan, a New York narcotics prosecutor, points out, street drugs are unpredictable, and people’s reactions vary widely. Additionally, because the drugs are not made in controlled pharmaceutical
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