Druidus
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2006
- Messages
- 599
I'll start by saying I don't think any drug should be illegal. But I still think regulation of our psychoactives is necessary. That said, I don't think caffeine causes enough pleasure or intoxication to require regulation like alcohol or tobacco. It may still merit some regulation, but not that level.
To be fair, caffeine is a very potent drug, with a low dose required to overdose. It IS addictive, and its use does become compulsive. Heavy use IS dangerous. If one cup of coffee contains 100mg of caffeine, then it would only require perhaps around 7-10 cup's worth at once in order to enter into overdose territory (likely not serious or fatal, but incredibly unpleasant). Some people are even more susceptible, and can OD from as little as a few cups at once.
But, really, who uses coffee so much that it interferes with their life or endangers their well-being or that of others? It simply doesn't cause those problems, in 99.9+% of cases, unlike alcohol. It's usually an adaptive drug meant to increase you ability to function, often while at work or school. It's not a party drug that you do to feel good, for no other reason but pleasure. Sure, many people drink coffee "just for the pleasure", but it's akin to a love of a certain food, not a psychological domination that causes you to crave unhealthily. It doesn't cause problems by adversely affecting your cognition, reflexes, or motor functions. It's relatively innocuous.
To be fair, caffeine is a very potent drug, with a low dose required to overdose. It IS addictive, and its use does become compulsive. Heavy use IS dangerous. If one cup of coffee contains 100mg of caffeine, then it would only require perhaps around 7-10 cup's worth at once in order to enter into overdose territory (likely not serious or fatal, but incredibly unpleasant). Some people are even more susceptible, and can OD from as little as a few cups at once.
But, really, who uses coffee so much that it interferes with their life or endangers their well-being or that of others? It simply doesn't cause those problems, in 99.9+% of cases, unlike alcohol. It's usually an adaptive drug meant to increase you ability to function, often while at work or school. It's not a party drug that you do to feel good, for no other reason but pleasure. Sure, many people drink coffee "just for the pleasure", but it's akin to a love of a certain food, not a psychological domination that causes you to crave unhealthily. It doesn't cause problems by adversely affecting your cognition, reflexes, or motor functions. It's relatively innocuous.
