CAFFEINE

WHAT IS CAFFEINE?

• It is a psychoactive stimulant
• It comes from a chemical compound derived from plants
• It is in coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks, kola nuts, tablets, and energy drinks

PHYSICAL EFFECTS

• It increases the need to urinate
• An overdose in caffeine can lead to death
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness
• Flushing and cold sweats
• Fast heartbeats
• Diarrhea
• Troubled breathing and fruit like breath
• Decreased or increased hunger and thirst

MENTAL EFFECTS

• It increases alertness
• It can cause anxiety and a loss of concentration
• Disrupts sleep patterns
• If caffeine consumption stops it can lead to a "crash", with irritability,and other withdrawal symptoms
• Increases the production of adrenaline and dopamine

DANGERS OF CAFFEINE

• Exacerbation of anxiety
• 150 mg/kg can cause death
• Phychosis
• Caffeine intoxication

To "take" the drug you need to consume it, whether that means drinking it or eating it.

Caffeine is physically and psychologically addicting. Within the first day of quitting caffeine symptoms will include a lack of alertness, you will be mentally foggy, your muscles will be tired, and you will be more irritable than normal. Over time, you will get a bad headache and feel small muscle aches, nausea, and other flu-like symptoms.

CAN IT BE TREATED?

• Instead of one day quitting completely, you should slowly decrease your consumption
• Some tips to help you cut down on caffeine:
• Mix decaf with your regular coffee
• Drink your lattes with more low-fat milk than coffee
• Brew your tea for less time
• Drink soft drinks that don't have caffeine
• If none of these seem to be working try seeing an addiction specialist

FUN FACTS!

• Almost 90% of adult Americans consume caffeine everyday
• It's the most common mood-altering drug in the whole world
• Caffeine only takes 10 minutes to kick in
• Bees also like caffeine, some nectar in flowers has low levels of caffeine, which attracts the bees

In, 1995 NASA tested the effect of multiple drugs on spiders and their ability to spin webs. Spiders can't metabolize as well as humans, meaning they were much more affected by the drug.

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SOURCES

• drugfree.com
• Drugs, the Facts About Caffeine by: Lorrie Klosterman
• smithsonianmag.com
• everydayhealth.com
• mic.com