What is Pink Cocaine? Know more about dangerous drug linked to Liam Payne, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and others

A recreational drug called “pink cocaine” has made headlines in recent days — linked to big name celebrities including Liam Payne and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. The powder — also known as ‘tusi’ — contains methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA tied together with a splash of dye. In recent months it has appeared in drug seizures, toxicology tests for the One Direction singer and even lawsuits against Diddy.

What exactly is pink cocaine?
The name is a bit of a misnomer and experts say the pink drug very rarely contains cocaine. It is typically a ‘ketamine concoction’ but users often have no actual idea what they are consuming. Studies have found batches containing methamphetamine, MDMA, bath salts, caffeine and opioids.

Put more simply, it is a concoction that anybody can make as long as they have a couple of drugs and pink dye on hand.

According to a study published by Joseph Palamar last year, the word ‘tusi’ may have been coined to mimic 2C-B — a recreational drug used on the rave scene in the 1990s and known for euphoric effects. Drug analyses reviewed by the NYU Langone researcher showed that tusi didn't typically contain 2C-B.

Is it dangerous?
Substance abuse can be a dangerous (and mostly illegal) habit. But the threat with ‘pink cocaine’ also comes from the uncertainity about its contents. Users could fall ill, could wind up with undesired effects or take a larger amount than past experience tells them they can handle.

Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic approved for use during surgery but in recent years it has been used recreationally and as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain. It can cause hallucinations and can impact breathing and the heart. Palamar notes that it is not a ‘fun drug’ for most people and can put a person in their own little world.

“Someone who's drunk at a party and thinks cocaine might counter alcohol's effects is going to be unpleasantly surprised by pink cocaine that's actually mostly ketamine…If you’ve been drinking, it’s going to make you sick to your stomach. And the dissociative effects are not going to be very pleasant,” he said.

How is it linked to Liam Payne?
Payne was killed earlier this month after plunging from a third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires. ABC News and TMZ said a cocktail of drugs called “pink cocaine” had been found during a partial autopsy. Prosecutors have said post-mortem results indicate the British singer was “going through an episode of substance abuse” before his death. Reports citing the toxicology tests also listed crack cocaine and benzodiazepine among the drugs found in his system.

Officials in Argentina however denied releasing toxicology test results for Payne following the US media reports.

Staff at the hotel in Buenos Aires had incidentally called emergency services twice to report a guest "overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol" who was "destroying" a hotel room. Payne had also spoken publicly about struggles with substance abuse and coping with fame in the past.

How is it linked to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs?
The popular party drug was named in a lawsuit against the music mogul earlier this year. According to a CBS News report, pink cocaine has been linked to the Diddy sex assault and trafficking case filed by music producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones.

“It was required all employees from the butler, the chef to the housekeepers, walk around with a pouch or fanny pack filled with cocaine, GHB, ecstasy, marijuana gummies and tuci (a pink drug that is a combination of ecstasy and cocaine),” the publication cited the 79 page lawsuit as saying.

(With inputs from agencies)