NationStates Jolt Archive

linky (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19875412/site/newsweek/)

"I'm concerned that impressionable adolescents exposed to marketing messages that promote caffeine as a performance enhancer will later turn to stronger drugs, like steroids or Ritalin or cocaine."

-Roland Griffiths, a neuroscientist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Is caffeine really addictive enough to lead to these kinds of drugs or is Griffiths just sensationalizing the effect of caffeinated drink advertising on people?

linky (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19875412/site/newsweek/)



Is caffeine really addictive enough to lead to these kinds of drugs or is Griffiths just sensationalizing the effect of caffeinated drink advertising on people?

I don't think he's saying caffeine is the problem - it's the ads that promote better performance through a chemical edge.

Whether that will mean more drug use among kids, I have no idea.

I think that any rational, sane person can see the vast gulf of difference between a light stimulant and something like amphetamines. Sadly, a lot of people tend not to be rational or sane.

I think that any rational, sane person can see the vast gulf of difference between a light stimulant and something like amphetamines. Sadly, a lot of people tend not to be rational or sane.

Here's the thing, though: Even though I don't believe in this man's point, he's obviously a respected figure in the psychological community. It's not like he's a bus driver in New York that just stayed at a Holiday Inn.

Fear the Crack-Caffeine, it is ruining America! The only obvious answer is to ban caffeine as a gateway drug, as any study will show that all drug users consumed caffeine before they started on the "hard" stuff.

Now if you excuse me, I have some caffeine to snort.

Doesn't he know that caffeine is one of the four basic food groups, along with sugar, cholesterol and chocolate?

he has a point - there's a difference between drinking some coffee every now and then and staying up for 3 days drinking 5 hugely caffeinated energy drinks. the one is just consumption and the other is reliance on a stimulant, which is habit-forming and can most certainly lead to use of more addictive ones. I don't think he's being alarmist at all. I know of people who gave up using energy drinks and switched to illegally acquired prescription drugs to study better back in high school. the boundaries are really rather vague.

Well I drink coffee, am teenage and also smoke. So erm there's your supposedly conclusive proof!

linky (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19875412/site/newsweek/)



Is caffeine really addictive enough to lead to these kinds of drugs or is Griffiths just sensationalizing the effect of caffeinated drink advertising on people?

I think he's listing the shit ad people take...its the only explanation for the gawd awful ad these days....

/grumpy

Damn I missed out on the steroids and Ritalin, are they any good? :D

he has a point - there's a difference between drinking some coffee every now and then and staying up for 3 days drinking 5 hugely caffeinated energy drinks. the one is just consumption and the other is reliance on a stimulant, which is habit-forming and can most certainly lead to use of more addictive ones. I don't think he's being alarmist at all. I know of people who gave up using energy drinks and switched to illegally acquired prescription drugs to study better back in high school. the boundaries are really rather vague.

Agreed. A lot of friends of mine in highschool would get all kinds of fucked up on stimulants. And the caffeine craze in the US really is getting out of hand - I feel like I'm a weirdo for generally staying away from the substance.

Caffeine is good. It's your friend...

Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... *DING*

"Dude, I need some."
"What? Fuck off."
"I need it, you don't understand!"
"Leave, man!"
"GIMME MY FUCKIN RITALIN!"
"You gotta calm down and concentrate man."
"What do you I need the Ritalin for!?!?!"

The whole concept of gateway drugs seems dubious to me...but given that I can see a much clearer connection (because they are all stimulants) between someone using caffeine moving on to speed, cocaine and crystal meth than people who smoke dope going on to use heroin.

linky (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19875412/site/newsweek/)



Is caffeine really addictive enough to lead to these kinds of drugs or is Griffiths just sensationalizing the effect of caffeinated drink advertising on people?

Here's a better question: Since when are Ritalin and steroids in the same category?

Caffeine is good. It's your friend...

Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... Coffee... *DING*

QFT.

Damn I missed out on the steroids and Ritalin, are they any good? :D
Not really. When I was a young shit-head, my family's doctor was convinced that he was King of Capsule Land and prescribed more drugs than I can remember.
Ritalin was especially bad, I think I put on 30 pounds or so while I was using that stuff.
On the other hand, I wasn't "allowed" coffee until 16 because, you see, it could be bad for you. Stunts your growth, you know.

Here's a better question: Since when are Ritalin and steroids in the same category?

Probably since soon after people realised they could spout that 'gateway drugs' nonsense and still be taken seriously.

On the other hand, I wasn't "allowed" coffee until 16 because, you see, it could be bad for you. Stunts your growth, you know.

That's why I'm so short, and there was me thinking it was down to the 20 Benson & Hedges I smoked daily during my school years.

Anyway another thought about coffee..... 'Friends' is based around a coffee shop, so have the cast after consuming so much caffeine, moved on to the hard stuff?
It could explain a lot.

Ritalin and steroids aren't really in the same category. However, they are in the same Schedule - meaning they are both subject to the same restrictions.

Americans should count themselves lucky that caffeine is still legal. The first draft of the Harrison Narcotics Act included caffeine as an illegal stimulant. Fortunately, the tea and coffee industries shouted very loudly about this and the act was changed.
At the time this happened, amphetamines, barbiturates and minor opiods were still freely available, and the scheduling system hadn't been invented yet.
There was even a weird and wonderful pill which made elegant use of time-release layers: The first layer released seconal to rapidly induce sleep, the second layer released phenobarb to keep you asleep until morning, and the final layer released amphetamines to wake you up. Of course this was withdrawn when the authorities found out that people were crushing them and taking it all at once to give a speedball-like high.