Pink cocaine – it’s not cocaine but a mix of drugs dyed pink with food coloring.
Diane Calello is head of the New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. She says it’s a growing problem in the US, having started in Europe and Latin America.
“We are seeing a little more of this than we historically have,” said Calello. “Pink cocaine is not a common source of exposure to drug abuse but it is one of them and I think it has gained a little popularity.”
Since January 2024, there have been 18 pink cocaine exposures reported by US Poison Centers in four states. The number may not sound like much, but all needed medical treatment, seven were hospitalized, three had life-threatening symptoms and there was one unconfirmed death.
Calello said users think they know what they’re getting — but they don’t.
“Pink Cocaine actually rarely contains cocaine, it often contains ketamine or ecstasy, or methamphetamine, you know, other stimulants, it may also have fentanyl,” she said.
“People can have seizures, they can become unconscious, they can become very, very hot, hyperthermia, that causes organs to shut down and can cause cardiac arrest,” she said.
Calello says call 1-800-222-1222 to reach your local poison center if you suspect someone has taken pink cocaine. But if they are in severe distress, call 911.