SOC/ANT 110: Drug Use and Abuse - Chapter 4

Caffeine as a Stimulant - Caffeine is the world’s most widely used psychoactive drug - Stimulant drug - Increases alertness - Decreases fatigue - Improves mood - Alkaloid - Nitrogen-containing organic metabolite - Produced by plants and deters insects - Bitter and toxic Sources of Caffeine - Naturally found in coffee beans, cacao beans, kola nuts, guarana berries, tea leaves, etc. - Common sources - Coffee - Tea - Chocolate - Soft drinks - Caffeine is added to soft drinks by manufacturers - U.S Food and Drug Administration places maximum limit on caffeine added to Soft drinks - Energy drinks - Beverages marketed as providing increased energy

- Offers carbonated, contain caffeine - FDA does not regulate caffeine content in energy drinks because they are Classified as dietary supplements in the U.S - Typically contain doses much higher than soft drinks - Medications Routes of Administration - Caffeine is most taken orally - Oral administration is - Safe - Convenient - Economical - Easy – do not need equipment or skills - Slow in getting to blood stream and brain Acute Effects of Caffeine - Acute effects - Changes that take place after one ingestion of the drug - The immediate effects - Objective effects - Changes in behavior or physiology - Subjective effects - Participant reporting how he/she feels - Objective effects

- How do we measure objective caffeine effects on CNS - Ask participants to complete various tasks before or after ingesting Caffeine - Physical endurance tasks - Motor skills tasks - Cognitive processing tasks - Effects on the body - Increased blood pressure - Contraction of heart muscles - Relaxation of coronary arteries and bronchi - Diuretic effects on kidneys - Stimulates respiration - Elevates metabolism - Delays onset of sleep