Former One Direction star Liam Payne reportedly had several drugs in his system when he died in Argentina last week, including ‘pink cocaine’, an illegal synthetic drug that’s become a growing concern in parts of the world.
So, what is pink cocaine? And is it readily found in New Zealand?
A potentially dangerous mix
Pink cocaine is not, as the name suggests, cocaine that has been dyed pink.
Also known as tuci or tusi, pink cocaine is a mixture of different drugs.
According to High Alert, New Zealand’s drug early warning system, pink cocaine was first reported in South America in 2018 but has spread around the world since then.
Overseas, pink cocaine is usually a concoction of ketamine, MDMA and caffeine, says NZ Drug Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm.
It has also been found to contain other drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, and new psychoactive substances (NPS). It commonly comes as a pink powder.
Given it is a combination of substances, it can be unpredictable.
“Because pink cocaine/tusi is usually a mix of depressant, psychedelic and stimulant drugs, it can lead to dangerous or unexpected effects and can be very hard to dose,” Helm said.
Liam Payne died in Argentina. 1News Europe Correspondent Mei Heron unpacked the reaction in his home country, the UK. (Source: Breakfast)
Has pink cocaine been found in NZ?
There have already been some presentations of pink powder at drug testing clinics in New Zealand.
“Pink cocaine/tusi has only rarely been seen in Aotearoa so far, although we often do see mixes of psychoactive substances sold as other drugs,” Helm said.
“[But] no matter what people are taking, we really recommend people get their drugs checked as it’s the only way to know what you’re taking.”
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