--- title: "One Direction’s Liam Payne Was Taking “Pink Cocaine” Before Death" description: "An initial toxicology report has revealed that former One Direction singer Liam Payne had taken \"pink cocaine\" before falling to his death." date: "2024-10-23" modified: "2024-10-23" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/liam-payne-taking-pink-cocaine-death" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "cocaine" - "drug addiction" - "ketamine" --- # One Direction’s Liam Payne Was Taking “Pink Cocaine” Before Death ![An initial toxicology report has revealed that former One Direction singer Liam Payne had taken "pink cocaine" before falling to his death.]() *\Image: JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images\* Former One Direction singer Liam Payne tragically passed away at the age of 31 after [falling from a hotel balcony]() in Buenos Aires last week. Now, an initial toxicology report has revealed that the musician had taken multiple drugs, [*NBC News* reports]() — including "pink cocaine," a dangerous new concoction that more often than not is laced with the anesthetic ketamine or other illicit substances such as MDMA. In many instances, [researchers have found]() the drug to not contain any cocaine whatsoever, despite its street name. The party drug has grown in popularity as of late, particularly in [Latin America and parts of Europe](), and is often available in liquid "happy water" form as well. The drug was also [recently linked to disgraced music artist Sean "Diddy" Combs]() in a lawsuit filed by his former music producer Rodney Jones. What makes pink cocaine particularly dangerous is the often unknown mix of substances within it, which can have a variety of different effects depending on the user's body. "To begin with, you don’t know what the substance is, but secondly, people don’t all react the same way to any drugs," New York narcotics prosecutor Bridget Brennan told *NBC News*, saying it's "very dangerous" as a result. The drug often includes both stimulants and sedatives, which [researchers say]() makes it particularly risky. "If you have a drug that’s telling your heart to speed up and another drug that’s telling your heart to slow down, that’s a problem," Brennan explained. Beyond cardiovascular effects, depending on what it's made of, pink cocaine can also have other problematic side effects. "One of the things around mixtures such as this is people's behavior might become unpredictable and they may do things that they wouldn't have otherwise done," Los Angeles County Department of Public Health addiction psychiatrist Brian Hurley [told *KABC*](). The circumstances surrounding Payne's recent death paint a troubling picture. Photos purportedly showing his hotel room [showed a number of other over-the-counter medications]() scattered among his belongings, suggesting the singer wasn't exclusively indulging in pink cocaine. As the [*Associated Press* reports](), his exact levels of drug exposure are also unknown and we still don't know how much of a role the pink cocaine played in his death. The physical injuries he sustained, however, appear to be consistent with his fall from a third-floor balcony, and prosecutors have ruled out the involvement of anyone else. **More on ketamine:** *[A Doctor Called Matthew Perry a "Moron" While Prescribing Him Ketamine, Which Later Killed Him]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()