It’s more than just caffeine that makes coffee addictive.
There’s the smell – that intoxicating first whiff from a bag of fresh beans. And the taste – a hot, rich flavour that just doesn’t come through in a warm cup of tea. And of course, there’s the look. Yes, the very real, simple appeal of a steaming mug or Styrofoam cup that is comfort to the completely dependent coffee addict.
This may be the most dangerous part of nursing a caffeine habit. Certainly coffee isn’t a real boost to anyone’s diet, but according to a study at Harvard, it actually helps prevent diseases like colon cancer and Parkinson’s, and can improve cognitive function.
Granted, caffeine can increase your heart rate or cause it to become irregular, and coffee is high in empty calories. But that is something the avid coffee drinker daren’t give more thought, lest the long-term risks begin looking all too inevitable.
No, the danger lies in the product itself. Coffee is a lifestyle – you can be a Timmy’s loyal, Starbucks snob, organic aficionado or even a decaf diehard. And that is essentially where the very real addiction sets in.
Millions – probably billions – of dollars are spent on coffee in Canada each year.
Think of it this way – you are at school eight months of the year. That’s 32 weeks. If you are at school five days each week, and you buy one coffee priced at $1.50 every day you are there, that’s $264.
You can buy an iPod for that these days!
Not only that, consider the environmental waste you are creating by purchasing those paper cups and discarding them after every use.
Even if that doesn’t get you, think about the psychological stress you are inflicting on yourself by harbouring an addiction that actually governs every day of your life. If you can’t wake up without a coffee, it’s safe to say you are a junkie.