Forensics results came after Liam Payne, a former member of the global boy group One Direction, fell to his death on the third floor of a hotel in Argentina last week. Forensic experts in charge of the case announced that traces of a powerful drug, “pink cocaine,” were found on Liam Payne’s body.
According to a number of foreign media outlets including ABC News, Infobae, a prominent news portal, and the British Mirror on Wednesday, an autopsy after Liam’s death revealed “Pink Cocaine,” a Class A drug. It is a deadly drug combining various drugs such as MDMA, ketamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack.
Pink cocaine is a hallucinogenic drug that distorts the senses of reality and is popularly used in Latin American party culture. Some variants have reportedly contained opioids such as LSD, mescaline, and fentanyl. Locally called tusi, the drug is believed to have originated in Colombia and has since become popular among clubs and raves.
Pink cocaine differs from conventional cocaine in its chemical structure. While regular cocaine is a naturally occurring alkaloid, pink cocaine is also called a “designer drug” that contains a phenylethylamine derivative that causes hallucinogenic effects. Phenylethylamine is a neurotransmitter and has a similar action to dopamine in the nervous system. These derivatives stimulate nerves or have arousal effects, and some may have hallucinations. Drugs such as MDMA and amphetamine, called ecstasy, are typical phenylethylamine derivatives and can act as potent stimulants or hallucinogens.
In addition to these ingredients, pink cocaine also contains a variety of unregulated ingredients, which can cause unpredictable side effects. The user is more likely to be exposed to serious side effects depending on the exact ingredients the drug is made of. Any side effects caused by drugs can quickly lead to negative experiences such as anxiety, paranoia, panic, and hallucinations.
Meanwhile, apart from the pink cocaine from Liam’s body, Argentine police have tested a white powder found in his hotel room at the time, but no clear results have yet been released. In response, they announced they were awaiting the results of a second test using chromatography, a powerful analytical separation technique.
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
