Expand / Collapse search
☰

DEA warns of 'pink cocaine' in Los Angeles

By
Published  December 12, 2024 10:02am PST
Opioid Epidemic
FOX 11

DEA warns of 'pink cocaine' of LA

Pink cocaine is a powdered mixture of substances, which is dyed pink, may have a sweet smell, and typically produces mind-altering, hallucinogenic effects.

The Brief

    • Pink cocaine is a powdered mixture of substances, which is dyed pink, may have a sweet smell, and typically produces mind-altering, hallucinogenic effects.
    • Effects of pink cocaine vary from person to person, but officials say much like MDMA or ecstasy, pink cocaine is a mind-altering psychedelic drug.
    • Pink cocaine was one of four drugs found in the system of One Direction member Liam Payne when he fell to his death in Buenos Aires in October.

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is warning that a new hazardous drug called "pink cocaine" is infiltrating the LA drug scene. 

It is described as a pink-dyed, sweet smelling powder that triggers hallucinogenic effects. 

Pink cocaine is typically a powdery mix of ketamine, MDMA, opioids or new psychoactive substances, according to the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. The drug cocktail may also contain caffeine, according to the National Capital Poison Center.

Despite its name, officials say pink cocaine contains no cocaine.

According to the DEA, pink cocaine is not a commonly trafficked substance. State and local law enforcement are more likely to encounter pink cocaine at the retail level.

However, pink cocaine is becoming an increasingly common find in American club scenes in urban areas like Los Angeles, New York, and Miami,  according to the DEA, and its seemingly random mixture of contents can make it particularly dangerous.

The drug recently made headlines due to its alleged connection to the death of One Direction singer Liam Payne

The 31-year-old died on Oct. 16 after falling from the third floor balcony of a room in Buenos Aires.

Autopsy results released by officials the day after his death said he died from multiple traumas, internal and external hemorrhage. The report also revealed Payne had four drugs in his system, including pink cocaine.

The Source: This story was reported with information from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Associated Press.

Opioid EpidemicLos AngelesCrime and Public Safety