the world's drug of choice

8/10/2019 The World's Drug of Choice

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Vivian Zhang

Professor Murray

HON:Eng Comp

13 March 2014

Coffee: The Worlds Drug of Choice

I wonder if Lipton workers get coffee breaks too?

-Dr. Francoise de Jaegher

Having been a gold card member for the famous Starbucks coffee company for a little

over a year now, my weekly routine of stopping by the third floor of the DAngelo Center for aquick cup of coffee every Monday morning has been a helpful, weekly tradition to keep me

awake through my long schedule. That being said, what I observe every week from the popular

store has also been fairly consistent; long lines with an expected twenty to thirty minute wait

time, crowded common areas filled with college students preparing for their next class, and at

least one cup of Starbucks coffee on each table. It was through these observations not too long

ago that I had realized coffee had become an important, almost necessary resource for the

average college student. This dependence on the popular beverage by myself, my friends, and

just about everybody on this campus has helped me gradually come to the realization that maybe

coffee was not just a drink that people needed to help them stay awake. Rather than for the quick

energy boost that people needed in the morning, coffee has become more of a trend; a means for

setting up social gatherings and simply participating in the new modern fad because it is the

normal thing to do. But to what extent can we call this new dependence on coffee safe?

It is no question that coffee has changed our country and has had a significant impact on

our society throughout history. A couple centuries ago, however, coffee played a slightly


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different role than the role it plays today. Today, coffee is a growing addiction, fueled only by

our inability to stay alert through natural means; back then, coffee was a symbol of the birth of

America. During the period of colonization, the infamous Boston Tea Party took place as a

result of our growing autonomy as a self-proclaimed country, separate from the English

motherland (Boston Tea Party). This event, which was really the start of a movement, sparked a

desire to prove our self-sufficiency and the colonists declared it unpatriotic to drink tea

(Labaree). Although at one point the two drinks were desired equally, coffee and tea had seen a

role reversal; many taverns and restaurants soon realized the newfound popularity of coffee over

tea. It was during this period the number of coffee shops in the U.S. surged upwards to 450%.(Brody). Many of the military forces soon saw that they were being rationed coffee beans over

solid food (Salute to Veterans). The idea of coffee breaks replaced the antiquated tea time in

both factories and offices. The effects of coffee were acute, effective, and clear even without

scientific evidence or experiments. Coffee soon became the most popular beverage behind water

(Brody). Our nation was, quite literally, built alongside coffee and its popularity has yet to show

any signs of decline.

Many of the traditions of coffee drinking have followed into our modern day with little

change. Many workplaces still offer coffee breaks to their employees and 80% of Americans

over 18 drink coffee (OBrien) . The scent of coffee is the most distinguishable scent in the U.S.

and the number of coffee shops is still surging; there is an abundance of Starbucks Coffee stores

on virtually every single block in New York City (Holm). These similarities between modern

day coffee drinking and centuries past are remarkable, overshadowed only by a number of key

differences that have changed the role of coffee in our society.


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Of the many new changes coffee drinking has faced, the most important change would

have to be to the social factor which typically is associated with drinking coffee. Todays

society places a growing emphasis on class and etiquette. For many, people view coffee

drinking as an act of superb sophistication and maturity and therefore, they drink the beverage to

allow themselves to achieve self-satisfaction and an improved self-evaluation of their own being.

As crazy as the idea sounds, many of my friends describe coffee as an ineffective study enhancer

with a bitter taste. My next logical response to that statement would be, Then why drink it?

The emergence of hipsters and hash tags should be evidence enough to demonstrate the

importance of reputation and self-image today. People choose to do things out of the need to belong and feel important, rather than out of genuine interest or want. How many times is the

phrase Do you want to go get a cup of coffee? going to be used before people start becoming

more creative with personal invitations to better acquaint themselves with others? Especially in

the younger generation, there are many teenagers who are starting to develop coffee addictions

early because of these factors.

Of course, there are also those who drink coffee for the plain and simple sake of drinking

coffee. As I may have mentioned, I personally like to start my day off with a cup of coffee to

keep me focused throughout the morning. Of course, there are also countless others like myself

who enjoy coffee and find that it really does sharpen our alertness. Starbucks is specifically

opened until 1 a.m. at DAC during finals week because even Universities know that

procrastination and all-nighters is the go-to strategy for most college students. At my moms

office, she and her coworkers rotate the job of bringing the coffee in every morning because

without it, office productivity may decline. However coffee, for some, has gone from a drink

that gives a quick pick me up to a just merely a drink that is consumed for the taste. In high


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school, when I drank coffee it was to study for an exam. Now, coffee accompanies me

everywhere. Small cups doing everyday activities but a vente or a trenta when exam week is

upon me. The amount of coffee I have consumed no longer allows me to receive energy from a

small cup. Large amounts of coffee must be consumed for me to achieve the caffeine high. But

what I realize is even though I have to take in a larger amount to achieve the caffeine high, I do

not mind and have unconsciously been drinking more anyway. The course load and other

pressures of life have allowed coffee to always be needed. Quadruple shot espressos are the

norm for my roommates who are burdened with the almost disturbing task of having to drive five

hours back and forth from campus to their homes every break. For this group, coffee is our (our, because I belong in this category as well) impetus.

It is not only the United States that is overrun with coffee drinkers. Countries such as

Italy, South Korea, Finland and Norway are well known for their own versions of Starbucks even

though Starbucks is available as well in their countries. Surprisingly enough, the United States is

not even in the top ten countries that consume the most coffee in the world (Ferdman). It is hard

to imagine the amount of coffee that is needed to defeat the United States with Starbucks and

Dunkin Donuts at every other corner. Other companies such Caf Bene, Tour les Jours, Paris

Baguette and Cake House Win are slowly making their way into the world markets because

again, people cannot get enough coffee (Lee).

The proliferation of coffee drinkers, coupled with the fact that many new chemicals,

preservatives, and flavor enhancers are added into coffee, presents a difficult question regarding

the health of individuals who drink it (Brody). Because new chemicals are being added into the

recipes constantly, it is difficult to keep up and track down the source of any possible ingredient

that would be detrimental towards our health, especially since the effects of coffee drinking lead


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to a gradual decline in health with a complication of various syndromes, diseases, and

conditions. Caffeine, the main chemical component of coffee, has recently demonstrated having

a high correlation with a number of health concerns that are affecting the general coffee drinking

population (Farah). Nothing is good when consumed in large quantities; the imbalances that

arise in our body as a result of overconsumption have been proven to cause adverse effects.

Some of these side effects of prolonged consumption of coffee in our body are increased risk of

coronary heart disease, iron deficiency anemia, liver failure, and sleeping anxiety. In

moderation, however, coffee is unlikely to have detrimental side effects; some studies even

suggest that drinking caffeine may alleviate stress and prove to have therapeutic effects on our bodies (Farah). The challenge here lies within defining the blurred line between moderate and

overconsumption. Up until this point in time, no general health guidelines on caffeine

consumption have been established (other than Starbucks not allowing me to have more than 8

shots of espresso in my venti, black Americano) because an overdose of caffeine has never been

a prevalent or pressing concern in past generations.

The highly caffeinated world we live in today seems to be unstoppable. It is Americas

drug of choice of choice but what is the science behind it? Why is caffeine harmful when it

merely gives people energy? Upon consumption, caffeine is rapidly absorbed into the body from

the inner lining of the mouth, throat and stomach. Once absorbed, the caffeine blocks a

molecular signaler called adenosine. Adenosine is in control of the sleep cycle (Holm). The

molecules attach to receptors and signals the brain that it requires sleep. However, caffeine

blocks the adenosine from attaching to the receptors the brain never is never sent the signal to get

drowsy. Caffeine does not replace the need for sleep but just covers up the drowsiness

symptoms that adenosine can no longer produce (Holm). The adenosine molecules that should


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have attached to the receptors are now in excess. The elevated levels of adenosine in the blood

cause the adrenal glands to release adrenaline, thus, giving the caffeine drinker the caffeine high

they craved (Mandal).

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Monster drinks, red bull, and five-hour energy are heavily looked down upon and yet

serve the same purpose as coffee. They all contain caffeine and extremely high amounts of

sugar. Coffee does not normally contain sugar but because of the extra bells and whistles

Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and other coffee shops offer, the sugar content rises up to that of

Monster dr inks and etc. Lets face it. When people go to Starbucks, a small percentage actually

orders americanos and black coffee. They are there to get the caramel macchiato with extra

caramel and the mocha frappacinos. Even Starbucks admits, their top ten most ordered drinks

are the ones with extra drizzles of caramel or mocha, the lattes with cinnamon or peppermint and

etc. (Best Starbucks Drinks).

Long-term effects of substances are difficult to prove causation with to a single, root

factor. For example, humans know that the cause of a burn may be from a fire because of the

speed at which the burns show. It is easy to say that one thing proves another. However, the


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challenge associated with oral ingestion of slow substances is that it takes a much longer period

of time before any signs of a disease may show up. This creates friction between coffee fanatics

and scientists who are trying to educate the public on the lurking dangers of coffee. The public

will not be persuaded as easily to quit drinking coffee simply through education and spreading

awareness. Many people in society are content with instant gratification and do not factor in

possible long-term side effects into their decision-making. We have come to point in our society

where we do not listen until it is too late. Help is only asked when a problem arises. No one

wants educate themselves about the harmful things in their lives until the harm has already been

done.History has shown us that attempting to remove or weaken individuals rights will not

solve any issues. If both direct prevention and indirect prevention fail at preventing people from

drinking coffee, then these modes of prevention are inadequate. Some possible ideas for the

purge of coffee addiction are changing the societal sigma associated to the non-coffee drinkers,

alternative energy boosters that are healthier, and cost effective ways to reduce the availability of

coffee everywhere. It is too risky to allow the public to continue drinking unattended quantities

of beverages which have unknown side effects. We are the guinea pigs of the next generation. It

is generally improbable for scientific research to gain enough credibility for causation of diseases

without extensive testing over the course of many decades. Research on coffee is a relatively

new topic so there are many articles discussing the positive or negative effects of it and this

makes it difficult to find credible sources of information.

Prior to having done research to complete my paper, I probably would have had a tall cup

of coffee beside me to help me focus on my work. After sharing the detrimental side effects of

coffee with my friends, I see their own hands waver cautiously before picking up their cups to


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drink a second sip. The social experiment I conducted was simple; I spread public awareness

within a close circle of friends and asked them whether they had known that coffee would lead to

so many health complications. Most of them said no, and many said they would now opt for a

cup of tea or other natural foods for their source of energy. Some of whom were trying to lose

weight and had no idea the amount of calories their drinks contained. The conclusion is, that

with any public health related issue, one of the most effective steps to prevention is raising

awareness and public education. Just knowing the complications and risks may dishearten many

coffee drinkers to reduce consumption or give up drinking the beverage all together.

It is difficult task to change the millions of hearts that hold coffee dear to their hearts.Good things take time. Butter used to be heavily consumed in the early 1900s until it was found

out to cause high cholesterol. Now, it is deemed safe only in moderation. That is the key word:

moderation. Quitting to smoke, dieting, and cutting out caffeinated drinks cold turkey have low

success rates. To slowly wean oneself off of the drug in question, in this case coffee, the body

will gradually no longer require it to survive.

Public education is not a panacea to public health issues. Coffee drinking draws many

parallels to smoking. Many start between their teens and early adulthood and many know just

how bad each can be. However, whether it is attributed to addiction or to necessity, they are hard

habits to drop. One way anti-smoking campaigns significantly reduced smoking in our

population was by offering healthier alternatives. Because the affinity for smoking and coffee

drinking was similar, I believe that offering alternatives to drinking coffee will provide a

significant drop in coffee drinking as well. One great alternative is tea (Edgar). Tea has a number

of health benefits and has just enough caffeine to be considered safe to consume. Tea is one of

the main components of Eastern medical techniques, which focus on improving eating habits and


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diet for long lasting change. In this sense, tea is the medical opposite of coffee given its wide

range of health benefits. Some of these benefits include lowering LDL cholesterol, reducing the

risk of heart disease and diabetes, anti-aging, and reducing stress levels (Edgar). Depending on

the type of tea, there may be other additional benefits as well. Healthy snacks such as nuts and

fruit have also shown to help people focus and stay awake throughout the day.

Coffee is in almost everything we do. It provides the working class energy in the

morning, the extra push college students need to survive the dreadful exam week or just the extra

pick me up in the day. TOMS, the shoe company ha s even tapped into the worlds crave for

coffee. They now sell coffee from Rwanda and in partnership with Water For People, one bag oftheir coffee provides 140 liters of water (TOMS Shoes). Although coffee should be consumed in

moderation, it will be huge obstacle to spread social awareness about the harmful effects of

coffee. It is heartwarming to know that TOMS Shoes is able to provide for both the people of

Rwanda and the coffee depending population of the world.

I believe they realized getting the world to stop drinking coffee would be an uphill battle.

But social awareness begins with one person. The American Revolution was not won in one

night, it took years of training for Lance Armstrong to win the Tour de France and it will take me

6 years to receive my Doctorate of Pharmacy. Anything worth having is worth waiting for. To

have a more healthy society starts with the social awareness of one but it will take time. When I

spread the word of the harmful effects of coffee to my friends, they took second thoughts on

whether or not they should continue drinking the coffee in their hands. They will soon spread

word to their friends and so on until a vast majority comes to the conclusion on coffee. It is not

needed. Coffee should not be the only thing that gets people together. It is the 21 st century. We


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are now in a society where we should know what is beneficial to our bodies and what is not for a

better life. And coffee just does not make the cut.


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Work Cited

Best Starbucks Drinks. Starbucks Drinks. Starbucks. 2014. 4-March

.

"Beverage / Drink Industry Statistics." Adams Business Media Research . Statistic Brain, n.d.

Web. 17 Mar. 2014. .

"The Boston Tea Party." Coming of the American Revolution: Boston Tea Party . N.p., n.d. Web.

17 Mar. 2014. .

Brody, Jane E. Having Your Coffee And Enjoying It Too. 201. 25-June. The New York Times.

2014. 02-March .

"Coffee and the G.I." Salute to Veterans . Military Veterans Education Foundation, n.d. Web. 17

Mar. 2014. .

Edgar, Julie. "Types of Teas and Their Health Benefits." WebMD . WebMD, n.d. Web. 18

Mar. 2014. .

Farah, Adriana. Phenolic Compounds in Coffee. Institute of Food Technologists. 2014.2March

.

Ferdman, Roberto A. The Countries That Drink The Most Coffee. 2014 15-January . The

Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group. 2014. 5-March

.


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Holm, Paige. "Caffeine... Is It Really All That Bad?" Caffeine... Is It Really All That

Bad? Arizona Department of Health, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

.

Lee, Hyo Sik. "Why Do Coffee Shops Keep Popping Up?" The Korea Times . KoreaTimes, 11

Apr. 2012. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.

Mandal, Ananya. "Adenosine Pharmacological Effects." Adenosine Pharmacological Effects .

New Medical, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. .

O'Brien, Charles. "Http://www.psychiatry.org/practice/dsm/dsm5/dsm-5-video-series-why-caffeine-use-disorder-is-included-in-section-iii." Section III of DSM-5 . Arlington,

Virginia, n.d. Psychiatry . American Psychiatric Association. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.

.

TOMS Shoes. TOMS Shoes. 2014. 19-March .

the world's drug of choice

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