Java junkies find it hard to wean themselves off caffeine
By Michelle Rogerson

If you’re a coffee lover, you could be a drug addict. Make no mistake, caffeine is a drug. But is it addictive?

"I’m addicted, I think," said Mavel Velasco, associate professor of Spanish. "I need that caffeine."

Sophomore Kim Cuneo agrees.

"I have to drink coffee," she said. "It keeps me awake."

Velasco, who has lived in and visited many parts of the world including Bolivia and Saudi Arabia, has noticed that Americans drink a lot of coffee.

The stereotype is that we [Hispanics] drink more," she said. "I think Americans drink it more than Hispanics."

There is much dispute over whether or not caffeine is addictive. While it is unlikely that someone will consume coffee in steadily increasing amounts, like they would with other addictive drugs, when caffeine intake is significantly reduced, withdrawal symptoms such as headache, irritability, nervousness, decreased attention span and depression are common.

"If I don’t drink a couple of cups [of coffee] in the morning I get a terrible headache," said Velasco.

If you think you are addicted, don’t fret. Chances are you won’t need to give up your beloved brew. Everyone’s tolerance to caffeine is different. As long as drinking coffee doesn’t cause nervousness or insomnia, and you don’t have any preexisting health conditions, there is no medical reason to suffer withdrawal symptoms.

"You know you’re addicted when you obsess over it," said senior Meredith Plimey, a psychology major.

Chryse Ciresi, a sophomore, remarked on her roommate, Kiwi Gullixson’s coffee addiction.

"I’ve never experienced coffee like I have until I’ve lived with her," said Ciresi. "My roommate drinks coffee 24-7. She works in a coffee shop. She’s a business major and wants to open up her own coffee shop."

Caffeine does have some positive effects.

"Coffee goes beyond what is in the cup," said Plimley.

It combats fatigue and boredom, can improve the performance of manual tasks (such as typing), and increase capability of rapid and clear thought. No wonder it’s sometimes the lifeblood of a late night study session.

"If I have a lot of homework, I drink coffee at night," said Cuneo. "I couldn’t finish my work without it."

If you find that you do need to cut down on your caffeine consumption, you can eliminate the effects of withdrawal by slowly decreasing the daily amount of coffee you drink.

Other ways to limit your caffeine intake is to avoid gourmet coffee, which usually has more caffeine than regular coffee, or switch to instant coffee, which has less caffeine than regular coffee.

There are perks to this brewed beverage as there are negative aspects. But coffee is indeed a part of American culture.