robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) (03/27/84)
I have oftne heard claims that some people are addicted to coca cola. If people are interested, I'm sure we'll hear of specific cases. I stopped drinking all colas (not just coke) because of difficulty controlling my intake. I know of one person who was a chain-coke drinker (sounds like HIS problem, though, doesn't it?) It is certainly unclear whether such addiction might be a problem of the individuals, or related to anything in the chemical composition of colas. - Toby Robison allegra!eosp1!robison decvax!ittvax!eosp1!robison princeton!eosp1!robison
perelgut@utcsrgv.UUCP (Stephen Perelgut) (03/27/84)
Caffeine is an addictive drug. Ask any heavy coffee or Coke (r) drinker,
or just try going without any caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, etc.) for a week.
Headaches!!!!
--
Stephen Perelgut
Computer Systems Research Group University of Toronto
Usenet: {linus, ihnp4, allegra, decvax, floyd}!utcsrgv!perelgut
CSNET: perelgut@Torontodave@infopro.UUCP (David Fiedler) (03/28/84)
If anyone is "addicted" to anything in colas, it's the caffeine, which
gives a mild lift. While it's easy to enjoy such a lift often, those who
find they "can't stop doing it" often say they're "addicted" to something,
rather than use the correct term "I don't have the willpower to stop". The
same is true for cocaine and marijuana, which are psychologically powerful
but physically nonaddictive drugs. The word "addictive" is bandied about
much too freely: anyone who has seen a friend under the grip of a truly
addictive drug will know exactly what I mean.
"That's the biz, sweetheart..."
Dave Fiedler
{harpo,astrovax,philabs}!infopro!dave
P.S. Glad to see YOU have willpower, Toby, and good to see you're not
McMillan anymore.wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (03/28/84)
[] For Mr Fielder to say that cocaine is non-addictive flys in the face of medical evidence. We have a cocaine hotline here in New Jersey that takes calls from all over the US. Through this hotline, and subsequent refferals to addiction control centers, it has been found that there is a an astounding rate of cocaine addiction being discovered. No one who is on a recreational drug will admit that they are addicted just as most alchoholics will not admit their addiction. The incidence of cocaine addiction is soaring in this country and to say it is not an addiction is false, according to all of the latest medical evidence. The addiction is just less visible due to the nature of the class of people using the drug (upper middle class to rich). These groups are far more able to hide their addiction. Heroin and other mainline drug addicts tend to focus in the lower strata (economically) of the population where it surfaces in a greater proportion of crimes committed in order to support the addictions. The cocaine mainliners commit fewer crimes due to their higher economic status and thus have money to purchase cocaine to feed their addictions. BTW, grass can be addictive also, in the same sense as cigarettes. Ask Buddy Hackett about it, he freely admits to a grass habit that was with him for over 10 years. It was the same as cigarettes, and you can get all of the lovely tars, etc. just like from cigarettes. T. C. Wheeler
alle@ihuxb.UUCP (Allen England) (03/28/84)
+ I thought that caffeine *is* addictive (physically) unlike marijuana and cocaine which are only addictive mentally. Allen ihnp4!ihuxb!alle
amg@pyuxn.UUCP (Alan M. Gross) (03/29/84)
I claim I am addicted to caffeine. When I exercise the willpower to break the addiction, I suffer a couple of days of headaches, and then I a free of the addiction. The addiction is not strong, as with heroin or cigarettes. I know I can break it because I have done so several times. However it is an addiction and not simply a question of willpower. Alan Gross pyuxn!amg
mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton) (03/29/84)
I don't see how one could become addicted to caffiene via a cola. As I recall (someone with written facts feel free to jump in) one cup of coffee has about the same caffiene as a 6 pack of cola. It probably takes at least 4 cups of coffee per day to get a caffiene addiction. Anyone who consumes 24 cans of Pepsi per day must spend all their time visiting the restroom! I used to be considered a heavy consumer of Pepsi, and I went through a case a WEEK, not a case a DAY. My consumption was irregular, and I never noticed any signs of problems on days I went with no Pepsi.
seifert@ihuxl.UUCP (D.A. Seifert) (03/29/84)
Let us not neglect the addictive effect of the sugar in Coke(tm).
Rising blood sugar levels are lots of fun. Dropping blood sugar
levels are pure h*ll. (hmmm, a new form of torture?) Much of
the addiction of alcohol is actually the effect on blood sugar.
So much for the term "soft drinks".
your friendly neighborhood hypoglycemic,
--
_____
/_____\ I taught Walter Mitty everything he knows!
/_______\ Snoopy
|___|
____|___|_____ ihnp4!ihuxl!seifertleimkuhl@uiuccsb.UUCP (03/30/84)
#R:eosp1:-74400:uiuccsb:13900004:000:709 uiuccsb!leimkuhl Mar 30 12:05:00 1984 Please, TC Wheeler, if you want to argue that Marijuana is addictive, don't cite Buddy Hackett as an expert witness. To then state further that "you can get all the tars in cigarettes from grass" is just ridiculous. The tars in cigarettes are of an entirely different nature than the THC resins of marijuana and its derivatives. Besides, it is not the tars in cigarettes which cause the addiction, it is the nicotine. If you wish to argue for a cocaine addiction, realize that it is a psychological condition (no less deadly) rather than a physical one. Cocaine simply does not change one's body chemistry the way that heroine or alcohol does. In defense of good argument, not drugs. -Ben Leimkuhler
howard@metheus.UUCP (Howard A. Landman) (03/30/84)
> ... cocaine ... psychologically powerful but physically nonaddictive ...
I wonder if the author of this bit of nonsense has ever seen someone with
a heavy cocaine habit? I once worked briefly for someone doing about
$5,000 per month worth. That's over three grams per day. Just inhaling
it was insufficient; only freebasing was satisfactory. This person would
have had a good business if the profits from it (and then some) weren't
going "up in smoke". Not a pleasant memory.
Of course, what do I know, I think CAFFEINE is addictive ...
Howard A. Landman
ogcvax!metheus!howardwjb@burl.UUCP (Bill Buie) (03/30/84)
-- >I don't see how one could become addicted to caffiene via >a cola. . . >It probably takes at least 4 cups of coffee per day to get a caffiene >addiction. Not entirely true. I (and maybe several others?) am extremely sesitive to caffiene. A cup a day, over a week, has me addicted. I have to stay away from it a few days (and experience the headaches, etc.) to calm my nerves if I keep that pace for more than ten days or so. (Too bad I adore coffe -- O beloved, foul potion of haste self!!) I can imagine that colas could addict me, too, if I could stomach them long enough. -- --Bill Buie
crl@pur-phy.UUCP (Charles LaBrec) (03/30/84)
If I remember correctly an article I saw in Time(?) last summer, the amount of caffeine in sodas was approximately: Coffee 75-150 mg (it varies a lot) Coke 45-55 mg (here I just don't recall the amount) Pepsi 40-50 mg " Mountain Dew 55-65 mg " Tea 30-50 mg (varies) I don't remember serving sizes that were given. Anyone else have the exact article lying about? Charles LaBrec UUCP: pur-ee!Physics:crl, purdue!Physics:crl INTERNET: crl @ pur-phy.UUCP
jrs2@ihuxe.UUCP (J.R.Smithson) (03/30/84)
As to the person who claims he is addicted to caffeine, it may also be possible that this person is allergic or sensitive to caffeine. The whithdrawl symptoms are quite common among people with food sensitivities. They crave the food which they are sensitive to. J.R.S.
lwe3207@acf4.UUCP (04/02/84)
"Cocaine is God's way of telling you you're too damn rich." -- Richard Pryor (I think)
joe@smu.UUCP (04/02/84)
#R:eosp1:-74400:smu:17300003:000:1171
smu!joe Apr 2 16:57:00 1984
From a recent issue of a FDA publication (FDA Today?):
Soda Pop caffeine content (mg)
Sugar Free Mr Pibb 58.8
Mountain Dew 54.0
Mello Yello 52.8
Tab 46.8
Coca Cola 45.6
Diet Coke 45.6
Shasta Cola 44.4
Shasta Cherry Cola 44.4
Shasta Diet Cola 44.4
Mr Pibb 40.8
Dr Pepper 39.6
Sugar Free Dr Pepper 39.6
Big Red 38.4
Sugar Free Big Red 38.4
Pepsi Cola 38.4
Aspen 36.0
Diet Pepsi 36.0
Pepsi Light 36.0
RC Cola 36.0
Diet Rite 36.0
Kick 31.2
Canada Dry Jamaica Cola 30.0
Canada Dry Diet Colas 01.2
I don't have figures for tea and coffee. Also, NO-DOZ tablets
have 100 mg. caffeine, I think.
Joe Ramey
convex!smu!joepiety@hplabs.UUCP (Bob Piety) (04/02/84)
To emphasize the difference between *PHYSICALLY* and *PSYCHOLOGICALLY* addiction, marijuana, cocaine and some other mood-altering drugs are psychologically addictive. That is, they do not induce chemical changes in the body. Physically addictive drugs include alcohol, caffeine, opium derivatives, barbiturates, and maybe some stimulants. Barbiturate withdrawal can be so severe that it causes death. Yes, the *WITHDRAWAL* can cause death, not to mention usage of these drugs. Bob
suhre@trwrb.UUCP (Maurice E. Suhre) (04/02/84)
The Consumer Reports had a very thorough article about caffein and
soft drinks a while ago. Perhaps a year or two, maybe three. If you
are concerned, I would recommend looking it up and reading it. One
of the more interesting results was that certain orange sodas were
being spiked with caffein.
They pointed out that subjects in medical experiments showed increased
mental agility after the equivalent of one cup of coffee (or maybe two).
There is a definite hype up with caffein.
Maurice
{decvax,ucbvax}!trwrb!suhrercd@opus.UUCP (04/03/84)
<> >To emphasize the difference between *PHYSICALLY* and *PSYCHOLOGICALLY* >addiction, marijuana, cocaine and some other mood-altering drugs are >psychologically addictive. That is, they do not induce chemical changes in >the body. Marijuana has not consistently been found to be EITHER physically OR psychologically addictive. (Research results indicate that the degree of psychological addiction found is significantly affected by the source of funding for the research and the identity of the researchers :-) Psychological addiction is a real phenomenon, but it's much less consistent than physical addiction. A drug can by strongly psychologically addictive to 10% (or 25% or 50%) of the population and not noticeably affect the rest. -- Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile. {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd
dave@infopro.UUCP (David Fiedler) (04/04/84)
To further clarify my original posting re: the term "addictive",
here is a list of B.S. lines people have used to me in
conversation to explain/excuse their behavior. See if any
sound familiar:
- I'm addicted to watching television.
- I'm addicted to eating.
- I'm addicted to sex.
- I'm addicted to chocolate.
- I'm addicted to playing rogue (reading netnews, coding in APL, etc).
- I'm addicted to jogging.
The original point was that the word "addicted" or
"addictive" should be reserved for those substances which cause
true physical dependence, as Bob Piety said so well, and NOT
things that are merely "uncomfortable" to give up by reason of
"habit", or "it makes me feel better when I do it". I was NOT
discussing the morals of doing any of these things, and did not
intend to start a discussion on marijuana vs. cocaine vs. heroin,
although some of that has been interesting. Further flames to
/dev/null, please, and stay off "the stuff": whatever that
means to you.
"That's the biz, sweetheart..."
Dave Fiedler
{harpo,astrovax,philabs}!infopro!daveix21@sdccs6.UUCP (04/04/84)
*
hplabs!piety claims that marihauna and cocaine are only
psychologically addicting and not physically addicting.
That is not true I have several sources from pharmacology textbooks
and journals that discuss the various symptoms of physical
addiction to cocaine and marihauna. In fact
Goodman and Gilman's A Pharmacolgical Basis of Therapeutics, the
pharmacology textbook used at most American medical schools states
that people have died from withdrawal from cocaine.
--
David Whiteman sdcsvax!sdccs6!whiteman
UCSD Medical School, La Jolla CA
{insert boring .signature file here}jbf@ccieng5.UUCP (Jens Bernhard Fiederer) (04/05/84)
I agree, Cola is mildly addictive. I can (and have) quit for a period of time, suffering slight depression and headaches. I usually go back to it, because I do not like any other drink quite as much. Azhrarn -- Reachable as ....allegra![rayssd,rlgvax]!ccieng5!jbf
piety@hplabs.UUCP (Bob Piety) (04/05/84)
Consumer Reports published a good book about 10 years ago called:
Licit and Illicit Drugs
As I recall, it is unbiased and well written. It may dispell some of these
myths that have bben floating around on the net.
Bobseifert@ihuxl.UUCP (D.A. Seifert) (04/06/84)
> I'm addicted to watching television. > I'm addicted to eating. > I'm addicted to sex. > I'm addicted to chocolate. > I'm addicted to playing rogue (reading netnews, coding in APL, etc). > I'm addicted to jogging. Well, let's see.... sex, chocolate and jogging can create chemical changes in your bloodstream which can be addictive. Eating may or may not, depends on what you eat. As far as I know, CRT activities (TV/rogue/netnews/APL/...) don't create any chemical changes, but I wouldn't bet my life on it. Actually the eyestrain would tend to be a negative factor. -- _____ /_____\ From the official doghouse of the '84 Olympics, /_______\ Snoopy |___| ____|___|_____ ihnp4!ihuxl!seifert
perelgut@utcsrgv.UUCP (Stephen Perelgut) (04/13/84)
aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh <- dead bug > From utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!cmcl2!acf4!lwe3207 > Newsgroups: net.rumor > Subject: Re: Re: A Coca Cola "thought experiment" > > "Cocaine is God's way of telling you you're too damn rich." > > -- Richard Pryor (I think) Actually, Robin Williams! -- Stephen Perelgut Computer Systems Research Group University of Toronto Usenet: {linus, ihnp4, allegra, decvax, floyd}!utcsrgv!perelgut CSNET: perelgut@Toronto