jenny - are you smoking analogs at all?
I ask because from my personal experience, I went from a pack a day to 4-6 per day in a week. Then for the next six months I smoked an 11 mg cart with my 4-6 cigs. Since going
tobacco free, I smoke 16mg and smoke the equivalent of 10 cigs a day. In that process, I have noticed that once I removed the
tobacco, there was an additive I was missing... that addiction has just about subsided... but I seem to have balanced out.
As far as caffeine and nicotine, from what I have read, there isn't a difference. The only difference is how it is delivered. For some reason, sodas are acceptable and
tobacco cigs are not, even though each lead to bad affects on the body. Soda can do devastating things to children, but for some reason, our society deems that ok. But... then again, we should just give it time because if the prohibitionists get rid of thc, nicotine, and alcohol, they will need SOMETHING to complain about and caffeine will be next.
From
Caffeine and Your Child
How Caffeine Affects Kids
In both kids and adults, too much caffeine can cause:
* jitteriness and nervousness
* upset stomach
* headaches
* difficulty concentrating
* difficulty sleeping
* increased heart rate
* increased blood pressure
Especially in young kids, it doesn't take a lot of caffeine to produce these effects.
Other reasons to limit kids' caffeine consumption include:
* Consuming one 12-ounce (355-milliliter) sweetened soft drink per day increases a child's risk of obesity by 60%.
* Not only do caffeinated beverages contain empty calories (calories that don't provide any nutrients), but kids who fill up on them don't get the vitamins and minerals they need from healthy sources, putting them at risk for nutritional deficiencies. In particular, kids who drink too much soda (which usually starts between the third and eighth grades) may miss getting the calcium they need from milk to build strong bones and teeth.
* Drinking too many sweetened caffeinated drinks could lead to dental cavities (or caries) from the high sugar content and the erosion of tooth enamel from acidity. Not convinced that sodas can wreak that much havoc on kids' teeth? Consider this: One 12-ounce (355-milliliter) nondiet, carbonated soft drink contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar (49 milliliters) and 150 calories.
* Caffeine is a diuretic that causes the body to eliminate water (through urinating), which may contribute to dehydration. Whether the amount of caffeine in beverages is enough to actually cause dehydration is not clear, however. It may depend on whether the person drinking the beverage is used to caffeine and how much caffeine was consumed that day. To be on the safe side, it's wise to avoid excessive caffeine consumption in hot weather, when kids need to replace water lost through perspiration.
* Abruptly stopping caffeine may cause withdrawal symptoms (headaches, muscle aches, temporary depression, and irritability), especially for those who are used to consuming a lot.
* Caffeine can aggravate heart problems or nervous disorders, and some kids may not be aware that they're at risk.
***
Anyone who says that caffeine is not addictive and does not cause withdrawl symptoms is wildly mistaken. As far as I am concerned, caffeine and nicotine should be regarded in the same fashion. Must be 18 to consume.
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