What Is Pink Cocaine? Liam Payne’s Autopsy Reveals He Took the Drug Before His Death

The world was left in shock when Liam Payne died at the age of 31 in October 2024. Less than one week after his death, his partial autopsy revealed that he had multiple drugs in his system at the time of his passing, including a drug called “pink cocaine.” What is pink cocaine and what else did Liam’s autopsy reveal?

What Is Pink Cocaine?

Despite having cocaine in the name, there is no actual cocaine in the drug. Instead, pink cocaine is a powdered cocktail of drugs that typically includes ecstasy, ketamine, caffeine and a psychedelic drug known as 2-CB, according to the National Capital Poison Center.

Pink cocaine has also been referred to as “Tusi,” which is a phonetic translation of “2C,” and often resembles a vibrant pink powder. The drug reportedly gets its color from the addition of colored dye, and sometimes has a strawberry flavor.

Pink cocaine is often used in party or club settings, and it can cause several effects such as hallucinations, anxiety, nausea, elevated body temperature and increased heart rate. The National Capital Poison center warns that “physical and sexual assaults, as well as traumatic injuries, have occurred when people are impaired by this type of drug.”

“It is also important to know that pink cocaine may be contaminated with drugs beyond those mentioned here, so unanticipated effects can occur depending on what is in the mixture,” the website noted. “For example, opioids, bath salts and hallucinogens have also been found in pink cocaine samples.”

Additionally, long term effects of the drug can include heart problems, increased risk of stroke and behavioral changes.

According to the National Capital Poison Center, pink cocaine is not as addictive as other drugs such as opioids or fentanyl. However, the drug does have some potential to become addictive.

What Did Liam Payne’s Autopsy Reveal?

After Liam died at the age of 31 on October 16, 2024, his partial autopsy was revealed on October 21, 2024.

In addition to revealing that pink cocaine had been detected in his system at the time of his death, the autopsy also explained that he had cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack in his system, sources revealed to ABC News.

Liam died after he fell off a third-floor balcony at his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. One day after his death, local authorities confirmed that he “jumped from the balcony of his room” before his death, according to the Associated Press.

A hotel staff member made a 911 call hours before Liam’s death and claimed that an unnamed guest had “overindulged on drugs and alcohol,” according to audio obtained via local media by Telemundo. “When he is conscious he breaks, he is breaking the whole room. Well, we need you to send someone, please,” the employee continued on the call, adding that they needed police to arrive “urgently” because they believed the guest was at risk.

“The guest is in a room that has a balcony and, well, we are a little afraid that he might do something life-threatening,” the staff member added.