The death of former One Direction singer Liam Payne has brought the drug "pink cocaine" into the spotlight, with reports of its presence growing in Texas counties and its link to the tragic incident. The Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Division has cited an increase in the drug also known as 'Tusi' in Harris, Hays, and Travis counties. Per a KXAN report, the DEA warns that pink cocaine is a variable mixture of substances, making its effects unpredictable.
A toxicology report reveals that Liam Payne had multiple drugs in his system, including pink cocaine, when he fatally fell from an Argentine hotel balcony. The drug is typically a powdery mix of ketamine and other illegal substances such as methamphetamine, MDMA, opioids, and sometimes, it may also include caffeine, according to information from a study found in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, and discussed in an article on NBC News.
Despite its misleading name, pink cocaine may not contain cocaine at all but gets its moniker from food coloring added to give it its distinctive hue. The drug often features ketamine as it's active ingredient and has been found in other forms like "happy water" and "k-powdered milk," particularly in Latin America and Thailand, according to a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime update paper.
The risks associated with the illicit cocktail are elevated due to the mix of depressants and stimulants it may contain. Bridget Brennan, the special narcotics prosecutor for New York, highlighted to NBC News that such a combination can be "very dangerous," especially when one drug tells your heart to speed up while another tells it to slow down. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse study points out that the complexities of pink cocaine are confusing both users and researchers, muddying the waters of the recreational drug landscape.
A distressed guest was reported to local authorities in Buenos Aires shortly before Payne's fatal fall, indicating signs of intoxication from alcohol and drugs. The Argentine emergency health service, SAME, confirmed that the singer had fallen from his balcony, leading to his untimely death characterized by multiple injuries consistent with a high fall, as reported by the Argentina National Prosecutor's Office.
