'Russian Roulette' drug is being sold to Liverpool teenagers on Snapchat

The drugs usually have the opposite effect of what people expect

Ryan Edwards, of Garmoyle Road, Liverpool, was jailed for a total of four years and six months for online drug dealing on social media.(Image: Merseyside Police)

A dangerous drug with unpredictable effects is being sold to Liverpool teenagers, city experts say. ‘Pink cocaine’ has hit the media in recent weeks after it was reportedly found in Liam Payne’s system when the One direction star fell to his death from an Argentinian hotel balcony.

The ECHO understands that the misleadingly named drug, which gets its color from food dye, is now being sold on Snapchat to the city’s youth. Abigail Wilson, lead clinical pharmacist at Liverpool-based We Are With You, said the substance is a “misnomer” because, despite what the name suggests, it rarely contains cocaine.

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She said: “You don’t know what’s in it. It is not the same as a prescription from the pharmacy. There is no regulation and no one checks to make sure what’s in it is what it says on the tin. You never buy something you know something about.

“But ketamine is usually always the basis of the drug and it has become much more available and cheaper, (hence) its rise in popularity. Cutting off with other drugs is something that will happen naturally in the future and that is where pink cocaine comes into play.”

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Abigail explained that cocaine is mostly made up of and, more often than not, mixed with ketamine class A drugs MDMA, 2C-B and sometimes benzodiazepines and caffeine. Professionals have labeled it a “Russian Roulette” type drug due to its cocktail nature.

Pink cocaine usually comes in powder form, for snorting or mixing with alcohol, but is also sold in capsules and as liquid. It is very rarely injected. The effect, as Abigail explained, depends “very much” on what the components are.

She added: “We do find that when people use something labeled cocaine, they expect the effects of cocaine. An alertness, a buzz – a fairly short effect. While they probably take it, with the ketamine base, and this is a ‘downer’. This can make you feel quite dizzy and cold, hallucinate and have significant problems with your movements.

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Abigail Wilson is WithYou’s lead clinical pharmacist(Image: We are with you)

“If mixed with other medications it can affect your heart rate and breathing and be very harmful. It can be reduced with a number of medications that either have a complementary effect or your body may find it very difficult to deal with it, causing more damage in the long term.

Abigail said it is very difficult to determine where the drugs come from, but know that “the Internet is a big place where people go to buy it.” It is thought that the drugs are mainly sold on Snapchat and this is due to the age group that uses pink cocaine.

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A Snapchat spokesperson said: “Criminals have no place on Snapchat and using the platform to buy or sell drugs is strictly against our rules. We use advanced technology to detect and remove all drug-related content and participating accounts, work extensively with law enforcement, and continue to evolve our service to keep our community safe.”

It is alleged that Snapchat is being used to sell drugs to teenagers(Image: Kirsty O’Connor/PA Wire)

Earlier this year, in July, Ryan Edwards, of Garmoyle Road, Liverpool, was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court over concerns about the supply of MDMA, cocaine and other Class A drugs linked to 2-C (pink cocaine) and ketamine. The 29-year-old’s case involved online drug trafficking on social media.

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Abigail said: “Ketamine-based medicines tend to be quite cheap and therefore make it more accessible to younger people, who are unlikely to have the highest incomes. Especially teenagers.”

Ellie Halfpenny, also from We Are With You, a support service in Liverpool city centre, said the industry is working to “distinguish between pink cocaine problems and ketamine problems”. Anecdotally, however, she said that ketamine itself is a “major problem in Liverpool” and that there has been a “slight increase in the number of young people taking it again”.

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She added: “Not directly related to pink cocaine, but with ketamine and cannabis we see people, more in the minority, from the age of 11 using drugs.” Ketamine is an anesthetic used by doctors and veterinarians to relieve pain and induce loss of consciousness. In January 2005, it was made an illegal Class B recreational drug, also known as Ket and Special K.

When the drug is taken, it reduces sensations in the body, putting people at risk of harming themselves. At high doses, the drug can cause people to experience feelings of dissociation, sometimes called a “k-hole.” Merseyside Police told the ECHO it is “aware of the existence of pink cocaine” and has seen cases in the region.

Police warning

Police urged people to “think twice” before taking the drugs. A spokesperson added: “Not only is it illegal to buy or sell drugs, but using illegal substances can also be very dangerous and potentially fatal. People who use illegal drugs of any kind don’t know what’s in them, where they come from, or what effects they might have on them.

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“There are significant risks associated with any drug use, especially when it comes to drugs purchased on the street from unregulated sources. The effects of medications are not always immediately visible or may be delayed. This can sometimes lead to people taking more to speed up the effects, which can have devastating consequences.”

Anyone with information about the supply of illegal drugs can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. For more information about drug use and abuse, call FRANK on 0300 123 6600.

Stand WithYou is a young people’s service in Liverpool providing support and support for families and group work. For any young people facing issues surrounding drug or alcohol use, they can call: 0151 706 9747 or complete the referral form opposite. page.