MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – Michigan and Metro Detroit law enforcement agencies are sounding the alarm about a dangerous designer drug known as “Pink Cocaine,” or “Tusi,” which has recently surfaced in Warren.
The synthetic drug has gained national and international attention after being found in the possession of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs during his arrest and in the autopsy of former One Direction singer Liam Payne.
Orville Greene, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division, describes these substances as “addictive and deadly” and increasingly accessible, even to young people. In Warren, police officers are already encountering pink cocaine in both pill and powder forms.
“It’s an international issue right now,” explains Lt. Craig Bankowski of the Warren Police Special Response Team. “It’s being marketed to our youth.” He said the drug’s synthetic nature makes it especially hard to trace since users can purchase components online and create their own mixtures.
While marketed as “pink cocaine,” the drug rarely contains actual cocaine. Instead, it often combines ketamine, MDMA (ecstasy), methamphetamine, crack, synthetic opioids, and psychoactive substances, including xylazine — a powerful horse tranquilizer.
“Xylazine does not respond to Narcan or naloxone. It’s not going to help,” said Greene, making overdose situations even more dire.
The drug is derived from 2C-B and gets its pink color from additives like food coloring and tinted baking soda.
Pink cocaine even comes in flavors, such as strawberry, which enhances its appeal to young users. The influence of celebrities and social media has also fueled its popularity among the youth.
“It’s done through the music industry, through social media, through celebrities,” Lt. Bankowski said.
Since 2020, the DEA has seized nearly 960 exhibits of pink cocaine, but only four contained 2C-B, the deceptive nature of this drug. Greene calls the public’s willingness to trust drug dealers “unbelievable,” highlighting the unpredictable risks involved.
As pink cocaine continues to pop up in different states, the DEA and local police urge parents and communities to stay vigilant and “Have those difficult conversations with your kids.”
