Given the detection of alleged synthetic drug production laboratories and seizures of substances that were reported as “pink cocaine”, “tuci” or “tucibi”, the National Drug Board (JND), through the Drug Early Warning System (SAT Drugs), inform and warn the population about the characteristics of the recently seized substances.
The government warns that although one of its best known names is “pink cocaine”, it is a mistake to associate its components and effects with those of cocaine hydrochloride. The only link is the powder presentation.
“The effects and risks of the use of the products that receive the denomination of ‘tussi’ totally differ from those recognized by the cocaine that generally circulates in our territory,” he warned.
This drug is a compound that usually comes in a pink powder format and contains a combination of various psychoactive drugs. In recent months, the first laboratories have been detected in Uruguay and seizures have been made.
The JND explained that the Laboratory of Seized Substances of the Department of Chemistry and Toxicology of the Forensic Technical Institute detected this drug for the first time in 2020 and, through the analysis of different seized samples, the presence of substances such as ketamine, MDMA, cocaine, caffeine and in some cases also the opioid tramadol.
Consequences and risks
- The wide diversity of substances contained in this type of compound supposes the interaction of these drugs. Users could be exposed to unknown effects and with undetermined consequences (toxicity and damage) for health.
- As can be seen, the names given to these compounds are imprecise and have the potential to easily lead to error.
- Users do not know the exact composition of this product. When acquiring it, not only do they not know what drugs are present, but they also have no knowledge of the concentration of each one of them.
- Faced with possible cases of acute intoxication that require health care, health services may face significant challenges in reaching an early and accurate diagnosis of the case, given the unpredictable effects that the use of this combination of drugs can trigger in each person.
For this reason, the government recommends avoiding the consumption of this product “in the face of unpredictable risks and consequences for health”, and remembers that in case of suspicion of intoxication or query, they can contact the telephone number 1722, which is available 24 hours a day and corresponds to the Toxicological Information and Advice Center.
