Posted on 09/29/2006 11:35:32 AM PDT by BansheeBill
Cocaine — the new party drink
By Jean Porrazzo, Enterprise staff writer
There is a new “cocaine” out there and it's not an illegal white powder.
It's a drink that contains nearly three times the caffeine as a cup of coffee, is supposed to have a “throat-numbing” ingredient and is billed by its maker as a “legal alternative” to the unlawful drug that carries the same name.
Called “Cocaine,” the beverage is the latest party drink among young adults in California, New York City and Australia. So far, the drink is not sold at local stores but it could soon arrive in southeastern Massachusetts once it goes on sale at its maker's Web site.
Local officials are not pleased.
“It's another attempt to exploit the use of illegal drugs,” West Bridgewater selectmen Chairman Matthew Albanese said.
“It's a subliminal message that trying the actual drug is cool as well — and let's face it, all kids want to be cool.”
An 8.4 ounce can of “Cocaine” contains 280 milligrams of caffeine. An average 5-ounce cup of coffee has at least 106 milligrams of caffeine, according to the U.S. Department of Nutritional Services.
Its taste has been compared to cherry-flavored Jolly Rancher hard candy.
The West Bridgewater selectmen want to ban the product from their town. The board has sent a letter warning all liquor license holders that “any use of a new 'energy' drink called 'Cocaine' will not be tolerated” and any use “would be deemed a violation by the board.”
Redux Beverages of Las Vegas, which makes the drink, boasts about its “throat-numbing” effect and says “Cocaine” is 350 percent stronger than the popular “Red Bull” energy drink.
According to Redux's Web site, www.drinkcocaine.com, the side effects associated with the drink include “extreme amounts of energy,” and the “caffeine effects last three to four hours.”
“Cocaine — Instant Rush. NO Crash!” says one promo.
Late Sunday, a Redux company official posted a letter on the site saying it had received 6,738,165 hits in one week after the new drink was announced.
But local officials, anti-drug advocates and health care providers are outraged by the product's name, its claims and the potential dangers.
“We spend millions of dollars every year educating our kids against the dangers of drugs and here's a company that's going to profit from the sale of this dangerous product,” Albanese said. “This company needs to show some level of corporate responsibility.”
None of a half-dozen students interviewed outside Brockton High School Wednesday had heard of the “Cocaine” drink.
Asked his opinion, Jameson Bernadotte, 18 of Brockton, said “they're using the name 'Cocaine' to attract young people. It's weird, it's promoting drugs.”
“I think they're trying to get people to buy it, especially young people,” said Jamie Foster, 15, of Brockton. “It's not a good idea.”
Foster and Bernadotte said they don't like so-called “energy” drinks. But 15-year-old Christopher Little, another student, said he has tried “Red Bull” and would try the drink “Cocaine.”
Meanwhile, the West Bridgewater Board of Health is looking into regulations to ban the drink at convenience stores and supermarkets, Albanese said.
“The Board of Health has jurisdiction of retail sales at convenience stores and supermarkets,” Albanese said.
Raynham school resource officer Louis F. Pacheco's sixth-graders found out about the energy drink on the Internet before he did.
“It's making light of the actual drug and now, when a kid is offered the drug, they'll think it's less dangerous,” he said.
Pacheco said he doesn't plan on addressing the drink in his class unless it is brought up by a student.
“The marketing campaign is unconscionable,” Plymouth psychologist Mark Dunay said. “They're romanticizing the use of a substance that will lead ignorant, uninformed kids into the assumption that the hard drug cocaine is acceptable. There's no logic, but kids aren't logical.”
To make matters worse, some young people are mixing the drink “Cocaine” with alcohol or using it with other drugs that normally would make them tired, experts and officials said.
“It acts in a way that they don't go to sleep, so they keep drugging and drinking,” Albanese said.
Dr. Melissa Joy Tracy, a cardiologist at Brockton Hospital, had heard about the drink.
She has treated a number of patients who drink energy drinks and suffer high blood pressure, racing of the heart and arrhythmia. The combination of alcohol or drugs with energy drinks is “a horrible combustible combination,” she said.
“Depending on the age group, these people could have a heart attack or a stroke,” she said.
Posted for informational and discussion use only.
How much cafine can the body endure?
Being wired is one thing, jonesing ever 15 minutes is a real b----. That depression over time is what made me stop. I can't stand complete and utter loss of dopamine and serotonin (I can't remember which exact one is surged through the brain with cocaine), especially in stark contrast to having just been doused with them.
But a manufactured high now would drive me nuts. My head and mouth are naturally in overdrive. I can't even imagine.
So coffee contains about 21 milligrams of caffiene per ounce while this new drink contains about 33 milligrams of caffiene per ounce. That doesn't seem like a big deal.
I had some friends who smoked "Death" brand cigarettes. No kidding, a black box with skull and crossbones that said basically "this stuff will kill you."
It would take a hell of an activist judge to let a suit against them get to trial.
How long till the libertarians descend on this thread and say we can smoke all the cocaine we want, it's no different than alcohol. Don't be messing with our bodies.
Grr. i put a /sarcasm tag but it kept dissapearing.
OMGG rack Jolt Cola LOL!
I went through cramming high school years on that stuff LOLOLOL!
Is there a medical reason for that EC stack?
Depends if being a fat ass qualifies as a medical reason :)
I started back up again in February of this year, and along with diet and exercise, have lost 40 pounds.
Everyone who has drank water has died also.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Oh, no, you mean I am dead and don't know it?
I'm glad that it works for you. I admire your discipline. For me to lose 40 pounds I'd have to cut off a body part.
Sometimes I can't believe how stupid the responses are on these threads.
Now we're comparing water to cocaine. Incredible.
Jolt cola, and Surge. Whoever killed these brands need to have their marketing license revoked.
Thanks. The first two weeks on the stack was pretty crazy, but that's mainly because I had maybe all of 2 cups of coffee in my whole life beforehand, so the caffeine hit me hard.
The key for me was to find a routine. Made eating low carb a habit, and running 3x a week seem 'normal'. Also, allowing myself to cheat every now and then helped too ;)
My response was to #5 and the "gateway" argument. Apparently you agree with #5 that caffein and a drinks name equals the same thing?
Meanwhile, the West Bridgewater Board of Health is looking into regulations to ban the drink at convenience stores and supermarkets, Albanese said.
“The Board of Health has jurisdiction of retail sales at convenience stores and supermarkets,” Albanese said.
these business need to sue the ever loving hell out of these boards and all the individuals on the boards personally.Maybe sleeping under a bridge in a cardboard box will take a little of the nanny state dictator out of them and force thm to realize that you cant legally punish someone for selling a compltley legal product just because you dont like the name
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
ping
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