Introduction
When we hear the term substance abuse, we think about illicit drugs like crack, cocaine, marijuana, or heroin, we hardly ever think about the more mundane drugs such as caffeine. “In the US, more than 90% of adults use caffeine regularly, with an average consumption of more than 200 mg of caffeine per day - more caffeine than in two 6 ounce cups of coffee or five 12 ounce cans of soft drinks” (Nichols, 2015). This makes caffeine the perfect drug because it is widely-available, cheap, and fast-acting (Hodge, Scanlon, Corbett, & Sorensen, 2014). And unfortunately, in today’s society, this makes caffeine a highly abusive drug and is an ever expanding epidemic that requires attention. This can be done by education individuals on what …show more content…
“Once consumed, caffeine reaches peak level in the blood within one hour and remains there for four to six hours (Nichols, 2015). Within this timeframe, an individual may feel more awake and alert, because the caffeine is making their body produce adrenaline that increases the heart rate, which then increased blood flow to the muscles, causing the release of glucose from the liver, and it also causes an increase in dopamine levels (Stromberg, 2013). This is the so called “Caffeine High” and for every “high” there is also a point where you “Crash” or come down from the ‘high”. The severity of the symptoms of dependency rely on your tolerance for the caffeine and how addicted you are. The symptoms at the crash can include fatigue, irritability, headache or confusion (Veracity, 2005). Furthermore, other common symptoms of the crash include sleepiness/drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, work difficulty, depression, anxiety, flu-like symptoms, and impairment in psychomotor, vigilance and cognitive performances (BPRU, n.d.). Most people experience mild to modest withdrawal symptoms, typically appearing about twelve to twenty-four hours after the caffeine was consumed are headaches, lethargy, depressed mood, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and stiffness (Payne,
When we hear the term substance abuse, we think about illicit drugs like crack, cocaine, marijuana, or heroin, we hardly ever think about the more mundane drugs such as caffeine. “In the US, more than 90% of adults use caffeine regularly, with an average consumption of more than 200 mg of caffeine per day - more caffeine than in two 6 ounce cups of coffee or five 12 ounce cans of soft drinks” (Nichols, 2015). This makes caffeine the perfect drug because it is widely-available, cheap, and fast-acting (Hodge, Scanlon, Corbett, & Sorensen, 2014). And unfortunately, in today’s society, this makes caffeine a highly abusive drug and is an ever expanding epidemic that requires attention. This can be done by education individuals on what …show more content…
“Once consumed, caffeine reaches peak level in the blood within one hour and remains there for four to six hours (Nichols, 2015). Within this timeframe, an individual may feel more awake and alert, because the caffeine is making their body produce adrenaline that increases the heart rate, which then increased blood flow to the muscles, causing the release of glucose from the liver, and it also causes an increase in dopamine levels (Stromberg, 2013). This is the so called “Caffeine High” and for every “high” there is also a point where you “Crash” or come down from the ‘high”. The severity of the symptoms of dependency rely on your tolerance for the caffeine and how addicted you are. The symptoms at the crash can include fatigue, irritability, headache or confusion (Veracity, 2005). Furthermore, other common symptoms of the crash include sleepiness/drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, work difficulty, depression, anxiety, flu-like symptoms, and impairment in psychomotor, vigilance and cognitive performances (BPRU, n.d.). Most people experience mild to modest withdrawal symptoms, typically appearing about twelve to twenty-four hours after the caffeine was consumed are headaches, lethargy, depressed mood, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and stiffness (Payne,