‘Pink cocaine’ – the designer drug Liam Payne took before his death in Argentina – is surging in popularity, and experts fear it will result in further tragedy among those who misunderstand what it actually contains
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Before his tragic death in Buenos Aires, it’s believed Liam Payne had taken ‘pink cocaine’ – a drug with a misleading name that masks its true cocktail of ingredients.
The former One Direction star died last Wednesday after falling from the balcony of his hotel suite, resulting in multiple traumas leading to an “internal and external haemorrhage”. Before his death, the 31-year-old had reportedly been behaving erratically and had to be escorted back to his room.
It has since emerged that Liam had traces of the Class A drug in his system, amid fears over the rising popularity of the vivid pink drug, which dates back to the 1970s. Around 2010, the powder, which reportedly sells for £76 a gram, resurfaced in its modern iteration in Colombia, booming in popularity in Latin America, before spreading to Europe.
Those taken in by the name however may not realise how much of a risk they are actually taking.
Drug Enforcement Agents in the US have expressed concerns over the synthetic drug that’s being sold in the clubs of New York as a ‘fun’ party drug, with alarming effects. A potentially life-threatening synthetic concoction of MDMA, ketamine, methamphetamine, benzodiazepine and crack, despite what the name may suggest, this dangerous substance rarely actually contains cocaine.
Instead, it’s known for having a high volume of ketamine – a drug which is surging in misuse, and which can have frightening disassociative effects. Mixed with pink food colouring and white powder, ‘pink cocaine’ – which is sometimes referred to as ‘Tusi’ or ‘Tuci’ – can cause amnesia and has previously been used in date rape cases. Ketamine abuse can also lead to loss of consciousness and breathing difficulties – which in some cases can prove fatal.
Speaking with CBS News this week, Bridget Brennan, New York City’s special narcotics prosecutor, said: “It’s ketamine mixed with methamphetamine, ecstasy. It could be mixed with anything.” Ms Brennan continued: “It 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.”
Earlier this year, a 79-page lawsuit filed by music producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones against Grammy-Award-winning rapper Sean Diddy Combs mentioned the designer drug. It was alleged that ‘all employees from the butler, the chef to the housekeepers’ were required to ‘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).”
A friend of Liam’s has claimed that the singer-songwriter had been targeted by dealers who allegedly delivered drugs straight to his hotel room after the star managed to stay clean for weeks. The unnamed pal told Mail Online how Liam had previously entered rehab in both the UK and California. They went on to claim that Liam had recently been taken on by a new psychiatrist in Florida, while those around him had held out hope that he was working towards recovery.
According to this source: “He went to Argentina to renew his USA visa where he had to undergo medical examination because of his history with alcohol and drugs. The results of the tests were good. Liam was 100 per cent sober. But when he checked in at the hotel, at some point someone there started giving him drugs.”
They asserted that, although Liam had been trying hard to remain clean, he was ‘preyed’ upon by individuals motivated by financial gain. Two staff members at the Casa Sur Hotel are reportedly now under investigation in the aftermath of the tragedy. The Daily Mail reports that a cleaner and another member of hotel staff reportedly hid drugs inside a Dove soap box, which has since been recovered by police. Meanwhile, investigators looking into the tragic death are reportedly now checking any potential links to VIP drug dealers.
Liam previously spoke candidly about the difficulties he’s experienced with drugs, which led to him spending 10 days at a Louisiana clinic back in July 2023. During his stay, he focused on art and poetry and drastically reduced his contact with the outside world.
In a video shared with fans at the time, the popstar spoke about how he’d initially found this difficult, admitting: “Turning the phone back on was a little bit scary. I’ve been trying to learn to get to know this new guy…”
However, his former One Direction bandmates were on hand to offer support, with Liam revealing that they’d ‘really stood by’ him in his hour of need. He continued: “There is a point when you hit rock bottom and you realise you have got to do something different as whatever you are doing right now isn’t working for you. I was in bad shape up until that point.”
*Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email frank@talktofrank.com, message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help.
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