Posted on 07/01/2023 1:19:19 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Authorities are giving Local 10 News another inside look at a drug called “pink cocaine” and why it is the number one narcotic federal officers are busting on our international passenger air border.
Customs and Border Protection Watch Commander Bryan Picado oversees enforcement teams at Miami International Airport.
“We have special equipment to test whatever products they are bringing to see if it is what it is or if it is narcotics,” he said.
Federal officers are trained to intercept illegal drugs there.
“Out of all the different narcotics is there one drug that seems to be the most prolific right now?” Local 10 News reporter Christina Vazquez asked.
“So right now, for Miami, this is the party scene. The party drug right now that is very popular is called 2c,” Picado said.
2c, also known as pink cocaine, is a new designer drug that is even on the radar of the United Nations.
“There is a lot of music, especially in the reggaetón scene, that make reference to 2c because it is a very popular dance, club drug that is being utilized right now in the party scene of Miami,” said Picado.
But it turns out, this “new” nightclub party drug made its debut in the 1970s.
1970 was the year of the Controlled Substance Act, which was followed by a boom in designer drugs made to skirt regulations, explains Dr. Jeffrey Bernstein, medical director of the Florida Poison Control Center.
“The cocaine part is really a misnomer, and the pink actually comes from food coloring. Sometimes they use, you know, Kool-Aid to give it a little flavor. It’s really just a marketing ploy,” Bernstein said.
The synthetic stimulant can pack a deadly punch with symptoms that include a racing heart rate, dilated pupils, sweaty, increased blood pressure, stroke, seizure, hyperthermia and increased temperature, according to Bernstein.
Ingredients used can vary from batch to batch.
“People can die. And the worst part about it is there’s really no quality control out on the street. So you don’t really know what you’re getting. I mean, they’re referring to this as cocaine and they’re making it pink because it makes it easier to market and easy to sell because it looks cool and it looks like it’s something new,” Bernstein said.
“But really, you have no idea what you’re getting and there are several varieties of substituted amphetamines that cause your temperature to go up, and really cause you to go into multi-organ failure,” he added.
Miami Police Assistant Chief Armando Aguilar told Local 10 News that his department has made multiple arrests after catching people with 2c.
“Our narcotics detectives have made in the past year, about seven arrests for 2c,” he said.
Aguilar said that while the drugs that continue to fuel street-level sales and violent crime are cocaine, crack and fentanyl, they are also keeping tabs on 2c.
“It is very concerning to law enforcement whenever there is a drug that is out there that is going to alter someone’s mental state,” Aguilar said.
“Are you going to be injured, possibly even raped, as a result of being under the influence of these drugs where you don’t know the quantities of what they are putting in?” he asked. “It really creates the conditions that are ripe for victimization.”
“My takeaway is, it’s not worth the risk. You’re playing Russian roulette,” said Bernstein.
Snorting Kool-Aid. I’ve heard of worse things.
Right? Ingesting tide pods comes to mind... 😆
Pink for pride month. Marketing genius.
EC
𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘶𝘴.
It’s been clearly demonstrated that certain types of people don’t really care about what or who they put into their bodies.
The drug trade is incredible and I can't forsee it ever being eliminated or even controlled. It's a plague sweeping across this country.
“It is very concerning to law enforcement whenever there is a drug that is out there that is going to alter someone’s mental state,” Aguilar
Is this what is causing men to be delusional and believe they are women?
“racing heart rate, dilated pupils, sweaty, increased blood pressure, stroke, seizure, hyperthermia and increased temperature”
Who the hell wants to feel like that and party? Sounds like everyday at the nursing home.
“The drug trade is incredible and I can’t forsee it ever being eliminated or even controlled.”
It’s going to take swift, capital punishment.
All throughout history and cultures mankind has sought chemicals which could alleviate their problems. That doesn’t mean it is good. 2c is just a knock off of an amphetamine. Pretty much same pharmacologic profile.
Yawn....another chemical which will kill people and ruin many lives. Good for us. We are so advanced. Get ready for the tales of woe from the addicts.
Walter White is saddened someone stole his colored drugs.
Not sure even that would work, a start perhaps.
Proof mankind has always been stupid and is getting worse. These chemicals don’t fix problems but creates worse problems.
People who voluntarily ingest substances knowing that their perceptions of reality will be altered, are in a sense people who want to be lied to. They would be incensed if another person lied (i.e. misrepresented reality) to them, but are perfectly willing to have a chemical do it for them.
My solution is to flood the cities with free dope in huge quantities for 18 months. Pick up the bodies regularly and soon the problem is gone.
Mr. Einstein, or Berstein, or whoever, is pretty smart to notice there is no drug quality assurance out on the street.
I’m just tired of being taxed to fund an over-reaching police power to protect people from themselves. Give them all the drugs they want and, in my estimate,18 months the problem solves itself.
I watched MIAMI VICE every week during 1980s...Crockett and Tubbs often went undercover to bust drug dealers...
Hunter snorted Parmesan from the carpets. Heh.
Fentanyl added will help rid us of undesirables who choose to use.
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