A recreational drug known as “pink cocaine” is attracting attention and causing confusion because it usually does not actually contain cocaine.
The powder — actually a pink-tinged mixture of different narcotics — has turned up in drug seizures, prompting warnings from law enforcement authorities.
Pink cocaine is also known as “tusi”, but both names are more related to its advertising than its content. Experts say it rarely contains cocaine and is more likely to contain ketamine, a drug with very different effects.
Why is it pink?
The color of this drug is due to a food dye, says Joseph Palamar, who studies trends in drug use at NYU Langone Health medical center in New York.
“Sometimes the mixture contains cocaine, but it is usually more of a ketamine preparation,” Palamar explained. Studies have found batches containing methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), bath salts, caffeine and opioids.
“It’s a preparation that anyone can do if they have a couple of drugs and some pink dye,” Palamar said.
The word “tusi” could be coined to have a similar onomatopoeia in English as 2C-B, a recreational drug used in the world of electronic music festivals during the 1990s and known for its euphoric effects, according to an article Palamar published last year. The analyzes reviewed by Palamar revealed that tusi does not usually contain 2C-B.
Nowadays it is possible that young people do not know the origin of the name tusi and may be confused with the name pink cocaine, said the researcher.
“It’s just a flashy powder that your friends consume. “They probably have no idea what it’s supposed to be,” Palamar added.
Why is pink cocaine dangerous?
The danger lies in not knowing what it contains. Users could end up with unwanted effects or ingesting more than their experience tells them they can handle. Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic approved for use during surgery, but in recent years it has been used for recreational purposes and as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain. It can cause hallucinations and cause respiratory and cardiac problems.
“Ketamine is not a fun drug for most people,” declared Palamar. “It puts you in your own world and things can seem very strange when you take it, especially in large quantities.”
A person who is drunk at a party and thinks that cocaine could counteract the effects of alcohol is going to get an unpleasant surprise with pink cocaine, which, in reality, is mostly ketamine, he said.
“If you have been drinking, your stomach will turn and the dissociative effects will not be very pleasant,” he declared.
Where does pink cocaine come from?
The United States Coast Guard reported last May that it had seized pink cocaine and drugs off the coast from Mexico and Central and South America.
“It was the first time I heard that large quantities had been exported to the United States under the name tusi,” Palamar said. Traffickers in the United States could easily make their own product with their own mixtures, he said.
