A new drug cocktail known as pink cocaine has doctors on edge and law enforcement officials sounding alarms. The substance hit the headlines when former One Direction star Liam Payne, who died after falling from his hotel room balcony in Argentina, was found with pink cocaine in his system. The drug has also been cited in a sexual misconduct lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs. Beyond its celebrity status, there are signs that pink cocaine is growing in popularity in the United States and across the world.
What is pink cocaine? Despite its name, pink cocaine, also called tusi, does not usually contain cocaine – and isn't naturally pink. It is "typically a powdery mix of ketamine and illegal substances such as methamphetamine, MDMA (also called molly or ecstasy), or opioids," said NBC News. Food colouring is used to turn the powder pink, and it may also have a distinctive sweet smell.
Why is it dangerous? Pink cocaine is "referred to as 'Russian Roulette' because its composition varies drastically between batches", Joseph Janes, a criminology lecturer at Swansea University, told Newsweek. This "significantly increases the risk of overdose or severe adverse reactions".
The drug can "put people into a 'k-hole' where they feel like they're in a blank space, like they are disassociated from their body, they're disassociated from their brain, they don't know what's going on", Bridget Brennan, New York City's special narcotics prosecutor, said to CBS News.
Researchers fear that "fentanyl may begin to appear in pink cocaine, increasing the potential for overdose and death", said the Los Angeles Times.
What is being done? In the US, officials are now actively warning the public about the dangers of pink cocaine and working to remove it from the streets. The Drug Enforcement Agency said it has begun targeting those involved in its distribution.
Efforts are also underway to limit its import from countries linked to illicit drug trafficking. Earlier this year, US authorities reported seizing pink cocaine and other drugs off the coasts of Mexico, Central, and South America, according to The Associated Press. |