What is 'pink cocaine'?

Pink cocaine, a drug mixture that can contain ketamine, ecstasy and crystal meth, has been increasingly detected in recent years.

Things to know about pink cocaine

Contrary to its name, pink cocaine does not usually contain cocaine but a mixture of drugs . The pink color of this drug usually comes from food dye or sometimes strawberry flavoring. The ingredients of pink cocaine usually include at least one stimulant drug and one depressant, the Guardian said.

The most common compounds are methamphetamine (crystal meth), MDMA (ecstasy), ketamine (a hallucinogen, a perception-distorting drug), as well as benzodiazepines, crack cocaine, and caffeine.

Pink cocaine is usually taken as a pill or crushed into a powder. It is rarely injected.

'The mixture is often very cheap, which attracts users ,' Dr. Linda Cottler, an epidemiologist who studies drug abuse at the University of Florida, told the New York Times.

Pink cocaine is a dangerous drug that has been getting a lot of attention recently. (Photo: Loop).

What are the names of pink cocaine?

Other names for pink cocaine include tusi/tuci, cocaina rosada, tucibi, pink powder, Eros and Venus. The name 'tusi' comes from the hallucinogenic compound 2-CB, first discovered by 'godfather of ecstasy' Alexander Shulgin. However, 2-CB is now rarely found in pink cocaine, according to law enforcement.

'Chemists operating outside the law often try to come up with things they think people will like,' says Dr. David E. Nichols, a pharmacologist at Purdue University. 'God knows what the effects will be.'

Where does pink cocaine come from?

Pink cocaine first appeared on the streets of Colombia around 2010 before spreading to nightclubs in other South American countries such as Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, Chile, and Panama, according to Vice. Pink cocaine has also become popular in the United States and Europe, especially Spain. According to a 2022 United Nations drug report, pink cocaine has also been detected in the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, and Southeast Asia.

Pink cocaine is also becoming more popular in the United States . In September, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said that pink cocaine is becoming more widely distributed, with much of it being sold online and through social media. In its annual national drug threat assessment, the DEA also said that Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel is increasing its production and trafficking of pink cocaine.

How does pink cocaine affect the body?

Some people use pink cocaine in nightclubs to get high. The drug can cause hallucinations, unlike the purely stimulant effects of traditional cocaine, says the UKAT. People who use pink cocaine report feeling both high and hallucinating – including altered sensory perception and mood swings.

'When compared to other stimulants such as methamphetamine or synthetic drugs such as ecstasy (MDMA), pink cocaine offers a unique combination of stimulant and hallucinogenic effects ,' UKAT writes on its website.

Pink cocaine users are relatively susceptible to overdose, UKAT added. Long-term use of pink cocaine can also cause heart attacks, high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke, as well as behavioural changes, addiction, persistent anxiety, depression and psychosis.

According to Bridget Brennan, a narcotics prosecutor in New York City, pink cocaine also acts as a sleeping pill and has been found in some date rape cases.

'It can be mixed with anything,' says Ms Brennan. 'It can leave people feeling like they're in a void, disconnected from their body, disconnected from their brain and not knowing what's going on.'

According to Dr. Cottler at the University of Florida, pink cocaine is one of the most dangerous drugs because neither sellers nor users know exactly what is inside.

'If just one drug dealer mixes fentanyl into a batch of pink cocaine, they can poison a lot of people ,' warned Joseph Palamar, an expert at New York University Langone Health.