Q COSTA RICA — Older adolescents and young adults are among the groups most often consuming synthetic drugs in Costa Rica, according to Mario Sánchez, an investigator with the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) Anti-Drug Unit.
The warning comes alongside a marked increase in forensic findings: between 2017 and 2022, the share of samples analyzed by the OIJ and its Forensic Sciences Department that tested positive for new psychoactive substances rose from 8.3% to 41.7%.
The figures do not establish how many young people use these substances, and though synthetic drug sales and consumption in Costa Rica remain below levels seen in some other countries, investigators say drugs are appearing more often in seizures and cases under investigation.
From 2021 to 2025, the substances most frequently seized included “tusi” (pink cocaine), ecstasy, ketamine, and methamphetamine
A product’s appearance can be misleading
One particular concern is tusi, often sold as a pink powder—an unpredictable, synthetic street drug cocktail dyed pink that has become increasingly popular in nightlife and music festival scenes.
OIJ forensic examiner Ronald Castro said it may contain varying combinations of ketamine and MDMA, sometimes with cocaine. Its color comes from dyes and cannot reveal what is in the mixture. Even products that look alike may have different ingredients and strengths.
That variability makes the risks difficult for consumers to judge. Marielos Sancho, an OIJ toxicology examiner, said users may not know a mixture’s purity, and manufacturers may add adulterants to increase the amount available for sale. Those additives can be toxic. The effects also vary from person to person, depending on the substances involved and individual health factors, she said.
The report describes seizures involving large quantities of methamphetamine pills and MDMA crystals. It also says that MDMA may appear as tablets, crystals or powder, while ketamine can be found in liquid or powder form. Officials have detected clandestine synthetic-drug laboratories in Costa Rica, including inside ordinary-looking homes.
Risks extend beyond deliberate use
The OIJ investigator said drug use may be voluntary, but a person may also be given a substance without knowing it—for example, when a drug is added to a drink. Castro said MDMA can be dissolved in beverages. Psychiatrist Luis Sandí, of Costa Rica’s Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (IAFA), warned that drinks may also be adulterated with ketamine, benzodiazepines, or opioids.
A drink’s appearance is not a reliable way to determine whether it has been tampered with: that residue may not be visible if ingredients dissolve. Sandí advised people in public settings not to drink from a bottle they did not open or a drink they did not see being served.
The report also raises concern about traditional drugs being adulterated with synthetic substances. Sandí described reactions including psychosis, panic attacks, severe agitation, high blood pressure and cardiac arrest. He said clinicians have observed psychosis among some people using marijuana, including people who had not previously experienced such episodes, and suggested contamination could be one explanation. The article does not present data establishing how common this is or confirming the cause in individual cases.
Prevention means addressing vulnerability
Sandí pointed to family, school and behavioral factors that can increase vulnerability during childhood and adolescence. These include violence, neglect, abuse, parental substance use, academic difficulties and problems with attention or impulse control. OIJ officials urged parents and caregivers to stay engaged with young people’s activities and social environments.
The central public-health challenge is not simply the presence of more substances in forensic samples. It is the uncertainty around what is being sold, what a person may unknowingly consume, and how differently those substances can affect individuals.
The reported increase warrants attention, but the figures should be read carefully: forensic test results and seizure data indicate a changing drug supply, not a direct measure of how widespread use is among Costa Rican youth.