Public warning issued after deadly drug cocktail linked to Songkran deaths

From Bangkok Post

The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) has issued a nationwide warning following the deaths of two individuals and the hospitalisation of another due to a suspected drug cocktail known on the streets as “Kanom” or “Labubu,” which circulated during the recent Songkran festival.

Pol Lt Gen Panurat Lakboon, ONCB Secretary-General, said the agency received reports from Ramathibodi Poison Center about three individuals who collapsed after participating in water festivities in Bangkok. The victims reportedly suffered seizures, stopped breathing, and went into cardiac arrest. Two later died, while the third remains in intensive care. All the patients were linked to the use of the new drug cocktail.

The centre’s initial findings suggest the drug may be a potent mix of stimulants and depressants, similar to the deadly "k-powdered milk" drug cocktail (a combination of ketamine and diazepam--an anti-anxiety medication) that made headlines in 2022. The drug, sold in tablet form resembling the popular rabbit-like cartoon character 'Labubu', is classified as a type of ecstasy containing a high concentration of MDMA — well above the typical 40–50% found in standard ecstasy pills.

The mind-altering MDMA drug is used to produce euphoria. The Labubu tablets are also mixed with other active substances, including ketamine and caffeine, which intensify the drug’s effects and make it significantly more dangerous.

Pol Lt Gen Panurat said that the exact composition of the pills involved in the recent cases is still under laboratory analysis. He urged the public to remain vigilant, avoid unknown substances, and report any drug-related activity to ONCB’s 24-hour hotline at 1386.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3006992/public-warning-issued-after-deadly-drug-cocktail-linked-to-songkran-deaths