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NEWS: Sunday Telegraph - 16/08/09 'Most Aussies drink four coffees a day'

hoptis

hoptis

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Most Aussies drink four coffees a day
The Sunday Telegraph
August 16, 2009 02:25am

AUSTRALIANS are more addicted to caffeine than to any other substance, with research showing many people enjoy the equivalent of four cups of coffee a day.

Experts say the ritual morning coffee is the nation's top addiction, beating vices like problem gambling, alcohol and illicit drugs - "ice", cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin.

A University of NSW National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) spokesman said the average daily caffeine intake was 240mg - equal to four cups of coffee a day.

Research by Hudsons Coffee showed three in five NSW residents consumed two to four cups of coffee daily.

Performance coach and nutritional researcher Andrew May said caffeine consumption was fuelled by people using coffee as a social lubricant and a short-term cure for the symptoms of sleep deprivation.

"Around 63 per cent of Australians are sleep-deprived and, because we're so busy, the first thing we cut out is sleep," he said.

"But when we wake up tired, the first thing we do is buy a coffee on the way to work.

"But it is an addictive substance and the more we have it the more we crave that hit, so we have it more."

Bondi resident Olimpia Zajac, 32, said she has two coffees a day, at 7am and 11am, and was addicted to it.

"I get up in the morning and I need to have one to get me moving and then I need another one mid-morning to get me through," she said.

"The more you have the more you need it to get that kick. If I don't have one I'll be tired, miserable and unhappy all day."

NDARC research showed 19 per cent of Australians smoked tobacco or cigarettes on a daily basis, while the 2004 National Drug Strategy found up to 20 per cent of people over 30 smoked cannabis daily and up to 25 per cent smoking it weekly.

More than eight per cent, or 1.3 million, of Australians, consumed alcohol each day, while heroin (one per cent), ecstasy (three per cent) and cocaine (one per cent) had smaller numbers of frequent users.

A spokesman for Clubs NSW said its research showed that just over one per cent of the population had a gambling addiction - a substantial fall from the 1999 level of two per cent.

"It's a surprising figure because you hear about problem gambling so much people think it's at really bad levels, but it's actually better than it's ever been," the spokesman said.

News.com.au
 
It's good that Australians get reminded that caffeine is a drug, and an addictive one at that. One that almost a third of the population is addicted to.

To me the term "junkie" applies as much to the queue of people waiting for a latte at a train station in the morning as it does to someone hanging out for smack.
 
It is pretty ridiculous these days being a university student and observing how many people drink energy drinks all day like they are just a normal soft drink. The article mentions the average is 240mg of caffeine/day and equates it to 4 cups of coffee. I imagine a lot of the caffeine intake for some people comes from energy drinks, which in my opinion is worse for your health. Not only do they contain lots of sugar they also contain heaps of other chemicals to ‘energise’ you up.

They are almost a fashion statement these days. I’m seeing more and more people wearing Rockstar/Redbull caps. Once energy drinks are apart of fashion, I can imagine the caffeine intake of some people will go up a lot as they fall into caffeine addiction. Given it is a drug, it might be good to have a few more warning on the cans about how addictive it is.

Hopefully they do this study again in a few years for a comparision.
 
I quite happily inform my customers that the caffeine that they're drinking is an addictive psychoactive substance.

And none of them give a shit.

PLUR
 
alfisti72 said:
I quite happily inform my customers that the caffeine that they're drinking is an addictive psychoactive substance.

And none of them give a shit.

PLUR
Click to expand...

People do seem quite happy to be addicted to something as long as the majority of society thinks it's ok.
 
In all fairness it's fairly benign. Drinking 4 coffees a day probably isn't the healthiest dietary decision you could make, but as far as substances go it's about as safe as they come.
 
yeah I agree. Everyone seems to have this thing about pointing out the flaws in everything legal and the good things about everything illigal.
 
Coffee on its own is pretty benign, if you have a few a day its not too bad as long as you are also chaning your intake of water to account for the diuretic effects and dont have too much stress in your life.

All stimulants no matter how redundant- can affect you in a big way if you have large amounts of stress in your life. I find this alot when working with people with high levels of anxiety; usually they drink 3+ cups of brewed coffee a day. when they cut 2 of those out they find the anxiety actually eaiser to manage.

THis is because of the culminative affect of stress + stimulants,

Hell three or four capp's in a short period of time during end of semester study and i nearly have a panic attack :)
 
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No surprises here, the world is addicted to coffee it seems. I consume shitloads of caffeine when I am working but when in between jobs (like now) I find myself almost never drinking coffee or energy drinks.

I really question how addictive it really is if I can drink a few cups of coffee each day and an energy drink or two for long periods and then stop when I no longer need the energy. Maybe the other drugs I consume regularly have masked withdrawals for me?

I also have to dispute the part saying 30% of Aussies over 30 smoke dope daily and 25% smoke dope weekly. That would mean 55% of the population over 30 smokes weed a minimum of once weekly and I have read that cannabis use is most heavy in the 20-29 age group. You would have to assume if such a large amount of the population were smoking dope weekly or more there would be a much bigger movement pushing towards legalisation.
 
Yeah I'll call bullshit on that statistic. I know a hell of a lot of drug users, and I wouldn't even say 30% of them smoke weekly.
 
Funny I know a lot of drug users and I would say nearly 90% of frequent drug users I know smoke weed daily, there are a few more occasional drug users who dpn't smoke bud too often. But I have been a stoner since I was like 12 and I always seem to fall into a like minded crowd no matter what I do.

I just don't think that many people do any illegal drugs regularly, let alone just weed. If you account for people that don't like weed or who smoke it rarely but use drugs then that would leave about 60% of the population atleast being weekly users of some kind of illicit drug.
 
hoptis said:
To me the term "junkie" applies as much to the queue of people waiting for a latte at a train station in the morning as it does to someone hanging out for smack.
Click to expand...

As much as i'd like to agree, I think there's a world of difference. You ever heard of anyone sucking dick for a macchiato???

Having said that how far can you go? Perhaps sugar is a more widely abused drug?
 
Ha, I have about 10-15 cups of coffee a day....good stuff :)
 
At least it's an affordable addiction... After taking meth for long enough, fucking caffeine doesn't do shit. :\
 
meh! a "red bull + d-amp" breakfast is the only real way to start your day ;)
 
expothead said:
You ever heard of anyone sucking dick for a macchiato???
Having said that how far can you go? Perhaps sugar is a more widely abused drug?
Click to expand...


Now thats gold!!! but if we are talking psychoactive substances sugar & caffiene are the top two most used and abused in the world :)
 
^^^^ very close I would imagine.

Especially among the youngens these days.
 
madmick19 said:
Now thats gold!!! but if we are talking psychoactive substances sugar & caffiene are the top two most used and abused in the world :)
Click to expand...

Aye, I'm pretty certain tea is the second most popular beverage in the world and even drunk more than water in India right? Not quite as high in caffiene as coffee but it's still there :)
 
I have a coffee every morning, and 2-3 cups of tea throughout the day. I get a headache if i don't have at least a bit of caffeine.

And a can of mother every other day ;)
 
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