Simcoe Addiction and Mental Health

Simcoe Addiction & Mental Health

What Is Pink Cocaine, AKA Tucibi?

Pink cocaine. White pills on pink background.

What Is Pink Cocaine, AKA Tucibi?

Cocaine is grabbing Canada by the throat. 2% of Canadians use cocaine, with 9% of people between the ages of 20 and 24 using it. But what you think is cocaine may not be cocaine. It may be pink cocaine. What is pink cocaine, and where does it come from? What are its physical and psychological effects, and how can you spot an overdose? How can someone get help for pink cocaine addiction? We have prepared a comprehensive guide to answer your questions about pink cocaine.

The Basics of Pink Cocaine

Pink cocaine is synthetic phenylethylamine. Phenylethylamine is a compound that stimulates the central nervous system. The human body naturally produces small amounts of it, which can be found in foods like chocolate. It is also sold as a dietary supplement and included in some prescription medications.

Pink cocaine is a hallucinogen and a stimulant, meaning it creates hallucinations, euphoria, and other sensations similar to LSD. Some drug dealers mix phenylethylamine with other substances. Pink cocaine can contain MDMA, ketamine, and mescaline. 

Pink Cocaine and Cocaine

Despite its name, pink cocaine is not an actual type of cocaine. Cocaine comes from coca plants, which grow in South America. Pink cocaine comes from chemicals that dealers or manufacturers create in their labs. 

The reason why pink cocaine has its name is its appearance. It is in a powder form similar to cocaine, and most people snort it like cocaine. Both drugs are stimulants, so they have similar effects on the body, though pink cocaine causes more hallucinations than cocaine.

Some drug dealers take regular cocaine and dye it pink before selling it as pink cocaine. They also mix phenylethylamine with cocaine to create a more substantial stimulant effect. 

The History of Pink Cocaine

Alexander Shulgin was a chemist in the United States. Shulgin began experimenting with psychedelic drugs in the 1960s, creating the first tablets of ecstasy and other drugs. In 1974, he created pink cocaine. 

Shulgin thought that this substance would work as an aphrodisiac and psychiatric drug. It became popular in America and Europe, sold under the names “Nexus” and “Performax.”

In the 1980s, cocaine became popular as a party drug and stimulant. Drug traffickers found that demand exceeded their supply, so they started passing off other drugs as cocaine. One drug was pink cocaine, which became popular in its own right. 

By the beginning of the 1990s, it was the most popular designer drug in Colombia, Argentina, and other South American countries.

Colombian drug cartels pushed large quantities of it into America, driving up the demand there. Chilean drug traffickers have also started producing massive amounts of it. In 2019, the police seized nearly 500 units of 2C-B from Chilean drug dealers.

Canada does not have as much of it as the United States or South America. But the drug continues to circulate. In January 2022, a Canadian man was arrested in Ontario with 265 kilograms of drugs, including large amounts of pink cocaine. 

2C-B Street Names and Brand Names

Pink cocaine was originally called 2C-B. One of the organic compounds in it is 2C-H, a psychoactive substance.

 The name “2C-B” indicates that the drug is a derivative of 2C-H. Government bodies still refer to pink cocaine as 2C-B. 

“Tucibi” is the most popular street name for pink cocaine. It is the spelling of the pronunciation of 2C-B. People who order pink cocaine through a text or email may use “Tucibi” to conceal what they are ordering.

Because cocaine is referred to as “coke,” pink cocaine can be called “pink coke.” Some call it pink powder, Bromo, XTC, Venus, and Nexus.

Many people like to mix pink cocaine with ecstasy and/or LSD. This mixture is called a “banana split” or “party pack.”

How People Abuse Pink Cocaine

Some dealers distribute pink coke as a powder or as pills. The most common way to take pink cocaine is by snorting it. 

A user may separate the powder into thin lines. They can press their nostril to the powder or use a tool like a straw to inhale the line quickly. If the Pink Cocaine is in pill form, users will sometimes crush it with their hand before snorting it.

A user can also swallow pills or powder. However, the effects of the drug take longer when the pink cocaine is swallowed, so snorting is more popular. Some people who take the drug in public will swallow pills, so others don’t notice they are taking illegal drugs.

Pink coke can be injected, though most people decline to do so. Injections can be painful, and someone may find it hard to inject themselves in the middle of a club or restaurant.

People who have used the drug for years may inject themselves to feel a more potent effect of the drug. They may mix pink cocaine with other drugs while injecting themselves. Smoking it is unheard of.

Many people take the drug socially at parties and nights out at clubs and restaurants. This can lead to social pressure to take the drug. Some people also take the drug before having sex, believing it will help their performance. 

Effects of Pink Cocaine

Pink cocaine has several effects on the body. Each experience is different, so people may show different signs of being on the drug. However, there are many common effects that most people experience.

A 2018 study found that 2C-B can peak in a person’s system within an hour of taking the drug. Someone may experience effects for up to eight hours, especially if they take large amounts of it,

Physical Effects

In small doses, it can cause a person’s heartbeat to rise. An increased heartbeat may make a person feel more energetic or aroused. 2C-B can also increase a person’s body temperature. Increased body temperature may make someone sweat or cause their skin to become red and flushed. 

A person may find that they are hypersensitive to light, sound, and touch. Hypersensitivity can be invigorating, encouraging someone to dance or listen to loud music. But it can also be overwhelming and drive someone out of a club.

A person’s pupils may narrow. Narrowed pupils limit the amount of light a person can see, so someone may struggle to see objects that others notice. They may trip over things on the ground in a dark club or restaurant and hurt themselves.

Many people find that their appetite decreases while high on the drug. This can encourage them to use pink coke as a weight loss pill.

Psychological Effects

People take pink cocaine for its supposed psychological benefits. Many people have increased energy levels, encouraging them to stay out later and socialize more. They may feel more aroused and willing to flirt with people. 

Someone may experience a personality change and mood swings. They may be extremely happy and then extremely angry for no apparent reason. Small problems may overwhelm them, causing them to cry or scream.

A user may feel like they are more alert and focused. They may be able to pay attention to conversations better. 

Some people experience extreme euphoria. They may feel thrilled, talkative, and self-confident. They may take risks they wouldn’t usually take, believing they are invincible.

Hallucinations can occur at any moment. A person may hear voices from people who are not near them. They may see unusual things, including people and places that don’t exist. 

Addiction

Pink cocaine is highly addictive due to its psychological effects. Many people feel extremely happy upon using the drug for the first time, encouraging them to take it multiple times. Social pressure and the desire to stay longer at a party can prompt someone to retake the drug. 

Most users believe that pink coke is harmless. They see people using the drug without consequences, so they believe they’re good to go. At first, no one may experience negative consequences, but the potential for harm can increase as someone develops an addiction.

Taking small amounts of pink cocaine can lead to an addiction. As time passes, someone may develop a tolerance, requiring them to take larger amounts to feel any effects. This can increase the chance of side effects. 

Overdosing

An overdose can occur at any point. Some people overdose the first time they use pink cocaine, while others overdose later in their dependency. Some overdoses are fatal.

An overdose may begin with someone feeling nauseous. They may vomit once or twice and still not feel any better. 

Other people experience a seizure, even if they have no prior history of seizures. After the seizure, they may go into respiratory arrest or cardiac arrest. They may injure themselves during the seizure, which can lead to a brain injury or a broken bone. 

The hallucinations and mood swings caused by it can become problematic. For instance, someone could get into a fight or car accident while high. 

An extremely high temperature can cause brain swelling and dehydration. Someone may fall asleep and not wake up, which other people may not notice for hours until the person has died.

Overdoses are hard to treat. Narconon and other drugs used to treat drug overdoses do not help with pink cocaine. By the time someone has a seizure or experiences cardiac arrest, it may be too late to save them.

Detoxing

Anyone can recover from an addiction to tucibi. The key is to detox them, removing the drug from their system. 

There is no specific detox program for pink coke, so a standard procedure is used. Though users can detox in their homes, it’s much easier to detox at a medical centre or rehab centre. Doctors can monitor the user for signs of problems and administer medications that slowly wean them off of drugs. 

A detox begins with a medical evaluation of the person. A doctor can see if the individual has any additional medical problems that need treatment. If a person is addicted to multiple drugs or has co-occurring disorders, they can receive medications that help them with their conditions.

Detoxing takes place over a few days. If someone experiences muscle pain or other problems, they can relax in a sauna and use grounding techniques to take their mind off of their pain.

Quitting

After detox, a person can begin receiving substance abuse treatment. Inpatient residential treatment involves staying in a drug treatment centre. A person can participate in talk therapy and learn new ways to handle stress and socialize. 

Group counselling can teach similar skills. A person can learn from other people’s experiences and make stronger connections with them. 

Inpatient treatment can last for a few weeks. After participating in therapy, a person can transition to virtual outpatient treatment. They can speak with a therapist using videoconferencing software and continue to develop the skills they learned in the inpatient centre.

Moving to a sober home can be beneficial. A sober home is a space free of drugs and alcohol, and someone can live with roommates who are also participating in drug and alcohol therapy. 

If a person relapses, they can continue pursuing drug treatments. They can go to another centre or find another therapist to help them. 

The Essentials of Pink Cocaine

Pink cocaine was first made more than 40 years ago. It is popular throughout the Americas, and many people believe it to be a harmless party drug. In reality, it can cause fatal seizures, heart attacks, and respiratory problems. 

It can also lead to addiction due to its stimulating and euphoric effects. But detoxing and inpatient treatments can help. A person should try a combination of individual and group therapy before transitioning to a sober home. 

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