Tusi (drug)
{{Short description|Recreational drug with mixture of different psychoactive substances}}
{{Distinguish|2C-B|2C|text=2C-B, a psychoactive drug of the 2C family}}
{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc|display-authors=6}}
{{Infobox drug
| type = combo
| image = PinkCocaineDEA02.png
| width = 290px
| caption = Tusi, also known as "pink cocaine," dyed with food coloring
| component1 = Ketamine
| class1 = Dissociative
| component2 = MDMA
| class2 = Hallucinogen
| component3 = Methamphetamine
| class3 = Stimulant
| component4 = Cocaine
| class4 = Stimulant
| component5 = Eutylone
| class5 = Stimulant
| component6 = Oxycodone
| class6 = Opioid
| legal_status = In general: illegal
| routes_of_administration = By mouth (oral), inhalation, insufflation
| bioavailability = depends on combination
| metabolism = depends on combination
| metabolites = depends on combination
| onset = {{ubil
|• Oral: <30 minutes
|• Intranasal: <1 minute
}}
| elimination_half-life = range 5–30 hours; irrespective of route
| excretion = Primarily kidney
| ATC_prefix = None
| synonyms = pink cocaine,
tuci, tucci, tussi, tucibi
}}
Tusi (also written as tussi, tuci, or tucibi) is a recreational drug that contains a mixture of different psychoactive substances, most commonly found in a pink-dyed powder known as pink cocaine.{{cite journal | vauthors = Palamar JJ | title = Tusi: a new ketamine concoction complicating the drug landscape | journal = The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse | volume = 49 | issue = 5 | pages = 546–550 | date = September 2023 | pmid = 37162319 | pmc = 10636235 | doi = 10.1080/00952990.2023.2207716 }}{{Cite web |year=2022 |orig-date=August 28 |title=ALERT: Powder sold as pink tusi found on-site at Lost Village 2022 |url=https://wearetheloop.org/drug-alerts-full/powder-sold-as-pink-tusi-found-on-site-at-lost-village-2022 |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=The Loop |language=en-GB}} It is believed to have originated in Latin America, specifically Colombia around 2018.{{Cite journal | vauthors = Díaz Moreno M, Alarcón Ayala N, Estrada Y, Morris V, Quintero J | date = January 2022 |title=Échele Cabeza as a harm reduction project and activist movement in Colombia |url=https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/DHS-07-2022-0026/full/html |journal=Drugs, Habits and Social Policy |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=263–276 |doi=10.1108/DHS-07-2022-0026 |issn=2752-6747|url-access=subscription }} Ketamine and MDMA are the most common ingredients, although cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, caffeine, cathinones, and other designer drugs are found as well.{{Cite journal |access-date=2024-03-10 |year=2022 |title='Tuci', 'happy water', 'k-powdered milk' – is the illicit market for ketamine expanding? |url=https://www.unodc.org/documents/scientific/Global_SMART_Update_2022_Vol.27.pdf |journal=UN Global Smart Update |publisher=United Nations Office on Drug and Crime |publication-date=2022-12-09 |volume=27 |pages=12}} {{Free access}} There are no standard proportions of the constituent drugs.
The inclusion of pink colorants is an element that seeks to attract consumers, especially young people, by offering a striking visual aspect that resembles something "attractive" or "festive."https://www.latimes.com/espanol/eeuu/articulo/2024-10-27/que-es-la-droga-recreativa-conocida-como-cocaina-rosa-o-tusi|{{cite web|accessdate=2024-11-30 |date=2024-10-24 |first=Nicole |last=Iporre |title=What is pink cocaine or "tusi", the drug linked to the cases of Diddy and Liam Payne |url=https://www.latercera.com/tendencias/noticia/que-es-la-cocaina-rosa-o-tusi-la-droga-vinculada-a-los-casos-de-diddy-y-liam-payne/BVHV5F6YRJGTHDXRQBZZPX5PSA/ |website=La Tercera}}
Though the name "tusi" is phonetically similar to "2C", tusi is not the same psychoactive substance as 2C-B or more broadly, the 2C family. Tusi, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, contained no 2C-B in most instances as of 2022. It may have been named this way because the drug has effects crudely similar to the psychedelic 2C-B.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}
== Society and culture ==
= Latin America =
Tusi was introduced to Colombia by upper-class young people from Medellín who brought it from Europe. In its early days, it was an elite drug, much more expensive than cocaine. To facilitate its consumption, it began to be mixed with pink food coloring, which gave it its name and characteristic aesthetic. Due to the limited availability of 2C-B, traffickers began adulterating it with caffeine, MDMA, and ketamine. This mixture became the standard formula, which rarely contained 2C-B from that point on. Production expanded to several Colombian cities.{{Cite web|url=https://elpais.com/america-colombia/2023-08-18/tusi-que-es-y-cuales-son-los-efectos-de-la-droga-rosada-que-alerta-a-colombia.html|title=Tusi: what it is and what are the effects of the pink drug that is alerting Colombia|accessdate=2024-11-07|last=González|first=Sara|date=2023-08-18|website=El País América Colombia|language=es-CO}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.sinembargo.mx/14-07-2022/4221104|title=This is how "pink cocaine" spread, psychedelic narcotic cocktail, by Latin America | accessdate=2024-11-07 | author=InSight Crime | date=2022-07-14}}
Beginning in 2015, tusi began to be exported to countries such as the United States, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. Starting in 2017, tusi became democratized and its price dropped significantly, attracting middle- and lower-class consumers.
By mid-2022, this drug had already become popular in several Latin American countries, including Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Panama, Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
= Europe =
The popularity of tusi in Spain began during the nighttime parties that resumed after the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. This context created an environment conducive to recreational drug use, in which tusi became an attractive option due to its appearance and perceived effects.{{Cite web|url=https://as.com/actualidad/sociedad/que-es-el-tusi-la-cocaina-rosa-cuyo-consumo-se-disparo-en-espana-despues-de-la-pandemia-n/|title=What is tusi, the pink cocaine whose consumption skyrocketed in Spain after the pandemic|accessdate=2024-11-30|date=2024-02-19|website=Diario AS|language=es}} Recreational use of tusi expanded enormously in tourist areas such as Valencia, Marbella or Ibiza.{{cite web|accessdate=2024-11-30 |date=2023-07-15 |language=es |last=Webmaster |title=Tusi and 2C-B: the origin of pink cocaine and its implications |url=https://www.valenciaadicciones.es/tusi-2cb-cocaina-rosa-implicaciones/ |website=Valencia Detoxification Center}} In some areas, it acquired the name "chic drug".{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/ciencia/que-es-cocaina-rosa-tusi-coctel-altamente-peligroso-para-salud_21652|title=What is pink cocaine or 'tusi'? A highly dangerous cocktail for your health | access-date = 2024-11-30 | date = 2024-02-21 | website = National Geographic Spain | language = es}}
= United States =
Authorities in New York City report that lab-tested samples have very little or no cocaine. They say there are record numbers of overdoses and there is no way to know exactly what is in pink cocaine.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-12 |title=New mystery drug 'pink cocaine' isn't what you might think |url=https://abc7ny.com/post/pink-cocaine-nyc-new-mystery-drug-hitting-club-scene-new-york/15176935/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |work=ABC7 New York}} Because the drug usually contains a mix of uppers and downers, it is sometimes called a speedball.{{Cite web | vauthors = Wiginton K |title=Pink Cocaine: Risks, Effects, and Treatment |url=https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/what-is-pink-cocaine |access-date=2024-08-17 |work=WebMD}}
Authorities{{Which|date=February 2025}} are trying to educate potential users who may not know how different ketamine is from cocaine. Cocaine is a stimulant and ketamine is a sedative-hallucinogenic anesthetic.{{Cite web | vauthors = Miller JR |date=2024-07-13 |title='Pink Cocaine' Busts Highlight Alluring New Drug Trend: 'It's pretty' |url=https://www.newsweek.com/pink-cocaine-drugs-narcotics-tusi-dea-coastguard-1923902 |access-date=2024-08-14 |work=Newsweek}} It does not mix well with alcohol.{{Cite web | vauthors = Olaizola B |date=2023-03-29 |title='Pink cocaine': The expensive and trendy drug is neither cocaine nor high quality |url=https://english.elpais.com/spain/2023-03-29/pink-cocaine-the-expensive-and-trendy-drug-is-neither-cocaine-nor-high-quality.html |access-date=2024-08-14 |work=El País English}}
Effects
= Common Effects =
The effects of tusi are varied and depend on the specific mix of substances in each dose. Similar to ecstasy, tusi can cause an intense feeling of happiness and an increase in energy, making it popular at electronic music parties.{{Cite web|url=https://elpais.com/america-colombia/2023-08-18/tusi-que-es-y-cuales-son-los-efectos-de-la-droga-rosada-que-alerta-a-colombia.html|title=Tusi: what it is and what are the effects of the pink drug that is alerting Colombia|accessdate=2024-11-30|last=González|first=Sara|date=2023-08-18|website=El País América Colombia|language=es-CO}} In addition, it can induce sudden changes in mood, from euphoria to anxiety and paranoia.
Various sources claim that the duration of its effects vary from 30 minutes to a maximum of 8 hours.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forumterapeutic.com/2023/01/13/tusi-droga-combinada/|title="Tusi", the dangers of the combined drug {{!}} Forum Terapeutic|accessdate=2024-11-30|date=2023-01-13|language=es}}{{Cite web|url=https://clinicascita.com/cocaina-rosa/|title=Tucibi or pink cocaine, what it is and what its effects are - Detoxification Center|accessdate=2024-11-30|last=CITA|first=Clínicas|date=2023-09-05|language=es-ES}}
== Risks ==
With repeated use, users can develop tolerance, leading to an increase in the dose consumed and an increased risk of severe adverse effects. These can include seizures, cardiac arrhythmias, increased blood pressure, and risk of heart attack. In extreme cases, excessive use can result in sympathomimetic toxicological syndrome, which can be fatal.
In addition to anxiety and paranoia, use of this drug can cause psychotic episodes and flashbacks, in which the user relives the drug's effects long after use.
Pharmacology
Drugs detected within the 19 samples of pink powder tusi/2C-B submissions to Erowid's DrugsData between 2019 and 2022:
| class="wikitable"
|+Drugs detected within the tusi samples (2019–2022) ! Substance !! Drug class !! Percentage of samples | ||
| Ketamine | Dissociative anaesthetic | 94.7% |
| Ketamine precursor | Dissociative anaesthetic (precursor) | 84.2% |
| MDMA | Empathogen/Entactogen, Stimulant | 63.2% |
| Caffeine | Stimulant | 52.6% |
| Methamphetamine | Stimulant | 15.8% |
| Cocaine | Stimulant | 10.5% |
| MDA | Empathogen/Entactogen, Stimulant | 10.5% |
| Oxycodone | Opioid | 10.5% |
| Eutylone (bk-EBDB) | Empathogen/Entactogen, Cathinone | 10.5% |
| Levamisole | Antihelminthic (often used as an adulterant) | 10.5% |
| DMT | Psychedelic | 5.3% |
| Lidocaine | Local anaesthetic (often used as an adulterant) | 5.3% |
| Tramadol | Opioid, analgesic | 5.3% |
== See also ==
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web | url=https://www.dea.gov/pink-cocaine | publisher = Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) | title = Pink Cocaine}}