From 2010 to today, illicit drug markets have undergone significant transformations, driven by the expansion of synthetic drugs, the emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS), and changes in consumption patterns. These transformations have been widely documented by both international organizations and specialized academic literature.
In this context, the phenomenon of “tuci,” also known as “pink cocaine,” arises, a psychoactive mixture that has gained notoriety in recreational settings linked to nightclubs, electronic music festivals, and urban leisure spaces. The product is usually presented as a powder with bright colors, which contributes to its differentiation in the market and its appeal to certain consumer groups.
In response to this phenomenon, the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs (OID) of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), part of the Secretariat for Multidimensional Security (SSM) of the Organization of American States (OAS), prepared an informational bulletin titled “‘Tuci’: challenges for drug policy,” which warns that the variability in its composition not only increases the risk of unpredictable pharmacological interactions but also complicates its legal classification, while reducing barriers to its production and commercialization.
The report highlights that, unlike traditional illicit drugs defined by a specific molecule, “tuci” does not correspond to a single chemical substance but to a mixture of psychoactive compounds with variable composition, marketed under the same name. Recent scientific evidence indicates that most samples sold as “tuci” contain neither cocaine nor 2C-B, despite the term’s association with the latter substance.
Data collected through the Early Warning System of the Americas (SATA) confirm that “tuci” is characterized by high chemical variability and increasing complexity in its composition. In some cases, multiple substances have been identified in a single sample, reflecting the multicomponent nature of the product and making it difficult to predict its effects. This pattern poses significant challenges for epidemiological and forensic surveillance, traditionally focused on identifying individual substances.
Analyses from forensic and toxicological laboratories of various member states, as well as substance analysis services, have identified that the most common formulations include ketamine, MDMA, methamphetamine, caffeine, and paracetamol, in addition to a wide range of other compounds such as amphetamines, local anesthetics, and synthetic cathinones. “This variability in composition not only increases the risks associated with consumption but also poses challenges for monitoring systems, traditionally oriented toward identifying individual substances,” the report notes.
Regarding this, the OID bulletin emphasizes: “From a public health perspective, the variability in the composition of ‘tuci’ increases the risk of unpredictable pharmacological interactions, accidental overdose, and severe adverse effects. The uncertainty about the dose and the components present also complicates the clinical response to intoxications. From a security standpoint, the variability in its composition complicates legal classification, forensic identification, and judicial processes, while reducing barriers to its production and commercialization.”
“More than the emergence of a new substance, ‘tuci’ represents a challenge due to the variability of its composition. Under the same name, very different mixtures can circulate, making it difficult for people to know what they are consuming and also complicating the response of health services, forensic laboratories, and drug control systems. For countries in the region, this reinforces the importance of having early warning systems capable of quickly detecting changes in the composition of drugs circulating in the market and sharing that information among health and security authorities,” Marya Hynes, director of the OID, tells La Tercera.
Various studies suggest that “tuci” emerged in Colombia in the early 2010s, in nightlife circuits associated with middle- and high-income sectors. In its early stages, the product was promoted as an affordable version of the psychedelic 2C-B, a substance from the phenethylamine chemical group, originally synthesized in the 1970s.
Due to the scarcity and relatively high cost of 2C-B in illicit markets, producers began replacing it with more accessible drug combinations such as ketamine and MDMA, the bulletin details.
From the mid-2010s, the phenomenon began to spread to other countries in the Americas. Information from national drug observatories (OND) and their national early warning systems (SAT) has documented the detection of substances such as ketamine, MDMA, and even occasionally 2C-B in products marketed as “tuci” in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, the United States, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Uruguay.
One of the most characteristic features of “tuci” is its highly variable composition. Different laboratory studies have identified a wide variety of substances in samples marketed under this name.
In fact, the OID report cites a chemical analysis conducted in 2024 of 992 samples at 22 electronic music events in Santiago, Chile, which identified 48 samples (5%) as “tuci,” revealing a heterogeneous composition: 42% contained only ketamine, 33% contained a combination of ketamine and MDMA, 15% included ketamine along with other substances, and 10% could not be identified by the analytical method used. Additionally, 89 samples (9%) were identified as ketamine, of which 42% contained only ketamine, 33% consisted of a combination of ketamine and MDMA, 15% included ketamine along with other substances, and 10% could not be identified by the analytical method used.
A subsequent study also conducted in Chile in 2025 identified, through a toxicological risk assessment, exposure levels higher than those considered safe, associated with an increased risk of urological toxicity and other health complications.
“Tuci” is a drug that mixes many psychoactive substances, characterized by unpredictable combinations consumed in nightlife and recreational environments. However, emerging evidence also suggests its presence in other vulnerable populations. A recent study conducted in Chile identified a mental health crisis among adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system, with 29% at risk of suicide and a high rate of synthetic drug use, including “tuci,” the OAS agency’s report notes.
“Chile has generated very relevant information about this phenomenon through its analysis and monitoring capabilities. The studies conducted in the country have documented the variability of mixtures marketed as ‘tuci’ and other changes in the ketamine market. That type of information is precisely what early warning systems need to identify emerging risks and guide public health and drug control responses,” Hynes explains to this outlet.
Unlike other illicit drugs that depend on crops or established trafficking routes, “tuci” can be made from diverse and more readily available inputs in local markets, facilitating its expansion in specific geographic, social, and market contexts, the OID report notes. This production model allows the product to be assembled locally from different substances, including pharmaceuticals or other chemicals mostly diverted from their legitimate medical or industrial uses, reducing dependence on traditional trafficking routes and complicating interdiction efforts.
“It is important to note that mixtures do not appear as such on national and international controlled substance lists, as control is usually applied to specific substances. In practice, the presence of a substance already included on the list in a mixture may be sufficient for regulatory measures to be applied. However, challenges persist, particularly in the case of ketamine, one of the most common substances in ‘tuci,’ which is not internationally controlled and whose inclusion on national control lists varies between countries, generating additional regulatory difficulties,” the report warns.
Legally, “tuci” highlights the structural limitations of regulatory frameworks based on specific lists of controlled substances. The changing composition requires case-by-case expert analyses and exposes regulatory gaps for combinations not explicitly covered by legislation. Consequently, various international organizations have pointed out the need to move toward more flexible regulatory approaches based on groups of substances or their pharmacological effects.
From a security perspective, the OID points out, the non-standardized nature of “tuci” complicates intelligence work and forensic analysis. Unlike drugs such as cocaine and heroin, which generally have more stable compositions allowing consistent pattern identification, “tuci” presents high variability that hinders traceability of supply chains and identification of links between seizures.
In this context, the bulletin notes, the “tuci” phenomenon highlights the need to strengthen national early warning systems, improve the analytical capacity of forensic laboratories, and promote timely information exchange among health and security authorities, as well as with national drug observatories. It also emphasizes the importance of integrating prevention, risk mitigation, and substance analysis approaches as complementary tools to mitigate associated dangers. The OID report also proposes updating national laws and regulatory frameworks, considering more flexible approaches to address products with variable composition and combinations of substances not included in traditional control lists.
“The ‘tuci’ phenomenon underscores the importance of more integrated approaches that strengthen coordination between public health, security, and intelligence sectors, leading to more effective responses to the growing complexity of synthetic drug markets,” it concludes.
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