What is Pink Cocaine?
Pink cocaine is the latest and trending designer drug currently taking over the party drug scene. It has recently been linked to the celebrity death of One Direction singer Liam Payne as well as music entertainer Sean “Diddy” Combs. Contrary to the name, pink cocaine isn’t actually a form of cocaine. According to a study published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, pink cocaine is a drug concoction typically consisting of ketamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, an opioid and other psychoactive substances. In some cases, the drug cocktail can also contain caffeine. In fact, every batch of pink cocaine that is manufactured is different containing different ingredients in varying amounts. This only adds to the dangers and unpredictability of the drug mixture.
America’s Poison Centers have recently issued a warning about the dangers of pink cocaine and its popularity in the party scene. In fact, since 2022, the DEA has seized an estimated 960 pink powders that fall under the category of pink cocaine. This designer party drug is a combination that mainly consists of a depressant and a stimulant drug. It has become increasingly popular in the American club scene and made headlines when it was reported linked to celebrities and influencers.
Pink Cocaine Linked to the Media
Pink cocaine made headlines after it was reported that One Direction singer Liam Payne allegedly had traces of the drug within his system when he died on October 16 after falling from his hotel balcony. ABC News and TMZ both first reported the drug combination was found in a partial autopsy of the former boyband member. Other news surrounding pink cocaine and a celebrity involves a lawsuit with music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. Maecee Marie Lathers, an Instagram influencer reportedly admitted to police she had used pink cocaine before causing a car crash in Miami where two people were killed.
What is Pink Cocaine and what are the effects of the Polysubstance drug mix?
Pink cocaine also goes by other names such as tusi, cocaina rosada, pink powder and Eros and Venus. The drug concoction first made its appearance in Colombia in the 2010’s and soon spread throughout Latin America. It then gained popularity in the U.S. and Europe, specifically in the nightlife and club scene. It is most prevalent in cities with active party scenes such as Miami, Los Angeles and New York City. European authorities first encountered the drug in 2022 as it has become popular and even labeled as a luxury drug due to its prevalence in party places such as Ibiza.
Pink cocaine is a cocktail of drugs that generally consists of ketamine, ecstasy, meth, opioids and other illicit substances. It gets its pink hue from pink food dye and sometimes is created with strawberry flavoring. It is commonly taken in pill or powder form and is a mixture of various substances, all of which are different for each batch of pink cocaine. In general, it contains one stimulant and one depressant drug. Because the drug concoction is a mixture of many types of substances, it can be difficult to detect which drugs and can also be difficult to predict the outcome of effects from using. You never really know what is in pink cocaine. This leads to varied reactions depending on the drug combination and each individual user.
The general effects and adverse reactions to pink cocaine include:
- Increase in body temperature
- Hallucinations
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased heart rate
- Anxiety
- Risk of stroke
- Risk of heart problems
- Nausea and vomiting
- Seizures
- Behavioral changes such as impaired judgment
- Impaired coordination and impaired reaction
- Overdose
- Coma
- Addiction
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Why is Pink Cocaine so popular?
Pink cocaine is popular in the club scene. People often use it to enhance sensory perception due to its unique combination of stimulant, depressant and hallucinogenic effects. Those who engage in this polydrug use claim it produces euphoria, a sense of well-being changes in perception and a slight hallucinogenic effect. Users describe the effects as “light” compared to other psychedelic substances. This also adds to the appeal. Pink cocaine comes in a fun pink color making it more appealing to the younger crowd and can cost as little as $10.
The Dangers of Pink Cocaine
The drug market is more dangerous now than ever. Drug manufacturers are creating new drug concoctions that are becoming more and more popular. This includes pink cocaine. The practice of polydrug use is not new. The pink cocaine drug cocktail can be very dangerous. It consists of a combination of stimulant, depressant and psychoactive drugs, all of which can produce different and even conflicting side effects. This can result in unpredictable and erratic behaviors where drug highs are very intense and drug crashes can be just as intense. This drug combination also puts a user at an alarming increased risk for drug toxicity as each ingredient can amplify each other’s side effects and can lead to drug overdose.
Because the combination of ingredients in pink cocaine varies, it can affect everyone differently depending on the dose, the environment in which they are using and even any underlying health conditions. Pink cocaine can be an addictive substance. As of recent, authorities have found the popular drug cocktail to be cut with fentanyl, an opioid responsible for thousands of overdose deaths over the past decade.
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Treatment for Polydrug Addiction
Pink cocaine has become a more and more popularly used drug. Commonly used by the younger generation and usually ingested in a pill or snorted as a powder, pink cocaine has begun raising concerns for drug use. The multidrug combination that makes up pink cocaine gained popularity after it was linked to One Direction singer Liam Payne’s death. However, Payne isn’t the first celebrity to be associated with pink cocaine. Pink cocaine consists of mixing stimulants, depressants and psychoactive drugs. All of these substances are addictive on their own. When combined together, they can pose an even greater risk for adverse effects including addiction. The most effective way to treat substance addiction is through a behavioral health treatment program such as Hotel California by the Sea.
We provide treatment at all levels of care: detox, inpatient residential, partial hospitalization program, and intensive outpatient programs. We utilize specialized medication-assisted treatments as well as evidenced based methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and marriage and family therapy. The combination of medication management and behavioral therapies allows our clients to better understand the various aspects of their addiction. Hotel California by the Sea is dedicated to helping our clients reach their goals for sobriety and overcoming their addiction.
References:
https://www.dea.gov/pink-cocaine
https://www.poison.org/articles/pink-cocaine
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pink-cocaine-liam-payne-death-what-know-rcna176556
https://www.verywellhealth.com/pink-cocaine-8736166
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/22/pink-cocaine-party-drug-liam-payne
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10636235
https://www.addictioncenter.com/news/2024/10/pink-cocaine-liam-payne