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What is ‘Pink cocaine’: The dangerous drug cocktail linked to Liam Payne’s death

Payne was found dead shortly after, having fallen from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel.

Fans pay tribute to former One Direction singer Liam Payne, who was found dead after he fell from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, in Hyde Park, London, Britain. (Reuters)

An initial toxicology report indicated that former One Direction member Liam Payne had several substances in his system, including a drug referred to as “pink cocaine,” at the time of his fatal fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Here’s what you need to know about this hazardous drug combination.

What is pink cocaine?

Despite its name, pink cocaine doesn’t typically contain cocaine. Instead, it is a powdery blend of substances, often including ketamine, methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), or opioids, according to WebMD.

What are the effects and risks?

The effects of pink cocaine vary significantly, largely due to the unpredictable combination of drugs it contains. Factors such as the specific drugs used, whether alcohol is involved, the quantity taken, and individual reactions can all influence how someone is affected by the drug, notes WebMD.

Side effects can include confusion, hallucinations, agitation, and feelings of illness. The National Capital Poison Center has also reported incidents of physical and sexual assaults, as well as traumatic injuries, among those impaired by the drug.

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In Payne’s case, a hotel receptionist made a 911 call shortly before his death, stating that a distressed guest, intoxicated by alcohol and drugs, was “breaking the whole room.” The guest, who was in a room with a balcony, was feared to be at risk of self-harm, according to audio obtained by Telemundo.

Payne was found dead shortly after, having fallen from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as “polytraumatism” and severe internal and external bleeding, according to Argentina’s National Prosecutor’s Office, reported by NBC news.

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How dangerous is pink cocaine?

The dangers of pink cocaine cannot be overstated. As a street drug, its unpredictable contents pose significant risks to users, and experts warn that some batches may be contaminated with fentanyl, a potent opioid fueling the surge in overdose deaths.

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“The drug market now is more dangerous than I’ve ever seen it,” says Bridget Brennan, New York’s special narcotics prosecutor, in an interview with NBC News. “Users absolutely cannot trust that their dealer is selling them the product they asked for.”

(with inputs from NBC news)