What is pink cocaine? Urgent holiday warning as deadly party drug that killed boy, 14, and is like a 'bomb going off' found in Ibiza and UK

An urgent holiday warning has been issued as a dangerous drug, which killed a 14-year-old boy, is ravaging through a popular destination. The drug has been marketed as the "drug of the elite" and has targeted Ibiza as its latest holiday hotspot.

The drug is called pink cocaine and is said to be a combination of substances such as ketamine and ecstasy. It uses "pretty" dye to attract partygoers, but has devastating effects. 

The drug has prompted an alert after experts reported that the side effects are likened to a "bomb" going off. The chemical formula for the disastrous drug was designed in Europe, however, a Columbian drug trafficker known as "Pablo Escobar of amphetamines" is the person behind its marketing as "pink cocaine". 

Experts have warned that it is made of a cheap mix of other drugs, with people stressing that it's actually referred to as "dealers leftovers". A police source told the Majorca Daily Bulletin: "It's so powerful that it causes severe hypertension and can lead to heart failure. It's a bomb because it is ecstasy and amphetamines in powder form. People don't know what they are consuming."

The synthetic substance usually comes brightly coloured in either powder or pills. It can be quickly dissolved in liquids and costs more than ordinary cocaine at around £30,000 pounds per kilogram. 

Berta de la Vega, coordinator of Energy Control, a Spanish drugs testing facility, said dealers buy a gram of MDMA for about €40 (£34.50) and ketamine for between €20 (£17.25) and €35 (£25.88) and mix it all up. In February, a 14-year-old from Madrid, identified only as Ryan, died as a result of pink cocaine. The drug was poured into his Red Bull drink.

His parents say his drink was spiked after he met with two strangers he and a friend had connected with on social media. According to the Pill Report, which issues advice on social media, pink cocaine is considered a "lucky dip" drug. 

The page wrote on the social media platform Instagram: “The s*** your dealers’ selling as Tuci is probably a plain old mix of ketamine and MDMA, with none of that elusive 2C-B. It’s a bit of a lucky dip too, as lab tests frequently find caffeine, 3-MMC (another designer drug) and other synthetics. 

“The amounts of each substance change wildly from batch to batch, so you’ll never get the same high twice. It’s called ‘dealers’ leftovers' in Holland as it’s literally the sweep of whatever’s in the bottom of the bag, then dyed pink to make it look pretty.”

The drug issue in Ibiza is explored in a new BBC documentary by former Love Island star Zara McDermott called Ibiza: Secrets of the Party Island. In the series, she helps police uncover a bag of the drug thrown into bushes by a drug dealer.

She says: “When I post I am in Ibiza, I’ve actually had people posting and offering me drugs. It is interesting how people are using social media to sell drugs. It is not just something you find down a back alley, it is on your Instagram.”

Spanish authorities have launched a campaign warning people about the health risks of the drug. These include blurred vision, panic attacks, anxiety, heart problems and strokes.

The drug has not only been found in Ibiza but in the UK too. It has been found in cities like Leeds, and Lost Village Festival in Lincolnshire.