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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 a
quick 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).

(http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/coffee-addiction.jpg)

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 drinks 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 has even tapped into the worlds crave for
coffee. They now sell coffee from Rwanda and in partnership with Water For People, one bag of
their 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 21st 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
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"The Boston Tea Party." Coming of the American Revolution: Boston Tea Party. N.p., n.d. Web.
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Edgar, Julie. "Types of Teas and Their Health Benefits." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 18
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Holm, Paige. "Caffeine... Is It Really All That Bad?" Caffeine... Is It Really All That
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