Tusi (drug)

Tusi (drug)
Tusi, also known as "pink cocaine," dyed with food coloring
Combination of
KetamineDissociative
MDMAEmpathogen
MethamphetamineStimulant
CocaineStimulant
EutyloneStimulant
OxycodoneOpioid
Clinical data
Other namespink cocaine,
tuci, tucci, tussi, tucibi
Routes of
administration
By mouth (oral), inhalation, insufflation
ATC code
  • None
Legal status
Legal status
  • In general: illegal
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailabilitydepends on combination
Metabolismdepends on combination
Metabolitesdepends on combination
Onset of action
Elimination half-liferange 5–30 hours; irrespective of route
ExcretionPrimarily kidney

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.[1][2][3] It is believed to have originated in Latin America, specifically Colombia around 2018.[4] Ketamine and MDMA are the most common ingredients, although cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, caffeine, cathinones, and other designer drugs are found as well.[2] There are no standard proportions of the constituent drugs.[1][2]

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."[5][6][7]

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.[2] It may have been named this way because the drug has effects crudely similar to the psychedelic 2C-B.

  1. ^ a b Palamar JJ (September 2023). "Tusi: a new ketamine concoction complicating the drug landscape". The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. 49 (5): 546–550. doi:10.1080/00952990.2023.2207716. PMC 10636235. PMID 37162319.
  2. ^ a b c d "'Tuci', 'happy water', 'k-powdered milk' – is the illicit market for ketamine expanding?" (PDF). UN Global Smart Update. 27. United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (published 2022-12-09): 12. 2022. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  3. ^ "ALERT: Powder sold as pink tusi found on-site at Lost Village 2022". The Loop. 2022 [August 28]. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  4. ^ Díaz Moreno M, Alarcón Ayala N, Estrada Y, Morris V, Quintero J (January 2022). "Échele Cabeza as a harm reduction project and activist movement in Colombia". Drugs, Habits and Social Policy. 23 (3): 263–276. doi:10.1108/DHS-07-2022-0026. ISSN 2752-6747.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ https://www.latimes.com/espanol/eeuu/articulo/2024-10-27/que-es-la-droga-recreativa-conocida-como-cocaina-rosa-o-tusi%7C
  7. ^ Iporre N (2024-10-24). "What is pink cocaine or "tusi", the drug linked to the cases of Diddy and Liam Payne". La Tercera. Retrieved 2024-11-30.