These are the drugs found in Liam Payne’s body at the time of death: Toxicology test results published

Liam Payne had traces of at least four different drugs in his system when he plunged to his death from a third floor balcony of the CasaSur hotel in Palermo, Buenos Aires last Wednesday.

The One Direction singer’s premature passing at the age of just 31, prompted waves of grief with fans setting up vigils in Buenos Aires and London. As the days go by, more details of what might have caused the incident and who was with the singer in the hours leading up his demise are slowly starting to emerge.

Photographs of the hotel room where Payne had been staying were published by Argentine media at the weekend. One of the images showed a television with its LED screen smashed. Another, a sink strewn with drugs-related paraphernalia, aluminium foil, white powder, the burned top of a fizzy drinks can, a discarded lighter, empty bottles of alcohol and a wine glass.

The voice recording of a receptionist’s desperate call to emergency services was also released, which described a client acting erratically and requested medical assistance. The hotel employee was also concerned about the client’s safety as room had a balcony facing a patio.

Postmortem reveals a toxic mix of drugs in Liam Payne’s bloodstream

On Monday, the first results of a toxicology report were released. It determined that there was a potent combination of drugs in his bloodstream, including: benzodiazepine, cocaine, crack cocaine and a relatively new luxury party drug which goes under several names - tucibi, tusi, 2C or more commonly, pink cocaine, due to its bright fuscia color.

The results of the postmortem will help investigators to shed more light on Liam’s final hours and his state of mind. The fact that traces of pink cocaine were discovered is significant. The drug is not actually cocaine but a blend of cheaper substances - usually ketamine, ecstasy and caffeine. When taken with alcohol, pink cocaine can produce a disturbing, potentially dangerous reaction in users.

The problem is that, as it is produced on the black market, the proportions of each substance isn’t known. If a user snorts pink cocaine that has a high ketamine content, then combines that with drinking alcohol, the depressant effects of both substances are enhanced. That can lead to loss of coordination, sedation and blackouts.

Dangers of mixing drugs and alcohol

Benzodiazepine is also a depressant and in the United States is classed as a Schedule IV drug under the Federal Controlled Substances Act - i.e. it has a low potential for abuse and is available over the counter, by prescription. Taken orally, it is used to treat a variety of conditions including alcohol dependence, seizures, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, agitation and insomnia

Once again the danger is greater among poly-drug users that also use benzodiazepines. Heavy alcohol use also increases mortality among poly-drug users or result in an increased risk of blackouts, risk-taking behavior, seizures and overdose.

Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca plant (Erythroxylon coca) which is available in two chemical forms: a water-soluble hydrochloride powder and fat-soluble free-based form, otherwise known as ‘crack’. It can be smoked, snorted, injected or taken orally and the effects are almost instantaneous. It is classed as a Schedule II drug, which means that it has high potential for misuse.

Small amounts of cocaine usually make people feel euphoric, energetic, talkative, and mentally alert. Large amounts of cocaine may intensify the high but can also lead to bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior.

When taken together with alcohol, cocaethylene is produced, which may increase the toxic effects of cocaine and alcohol on the heart. Cocaine has significant and well-recognized toxic effects on the heart and cardiovascular system.

Crack pipe found in hotel room

And finally crack cocaine, one of the most addictive substances available, which was also found in Payne’s system. Crack is essentially freebased cocaine, in other words, powdered cocaine processed with baking powder (sodium bicarbonate and water, then heated in a microwave, removing the hydrochloride to produce a hard, rock-like smoke-able substance.

The evidence found in the hotel room where Liam was staying - tin foil, burned fizzy drink can top... suggests that crack was possibly smoked there. According to some reports, an improvised aluminium pipe, commonly used to smoke crack, was also found in his hotel room. Smoking the drug produces a faster, more intense high than snorting does because it reaches the bloodstream and brain more quickly. There is also a very quick comedown - the initial rush of euphoria can quickly turn to feelings of depression and paranoia.

The white powder than was found in the sink in Payne’s hotel room has been sent to a lab for confirmatory tests but so far the results have been inconclusive. The singer’s body will not be released to his family until all pathological and other examinations have been concluded.