Everyone talks about the dangers of illegal street drugs, but not too many people speak about how easily accessible legal stimulants are for adults and even kids. Pure caffeine is one of these substances, presenting a cheap and dangerous way for users to get high without the dangers of arrest and prosecution.
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is a substance naturally found in beverages like tea and coffee. It acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system, according to Jasvinder Chawla, M.D., in his article titled “Neurologic Effects of Caffeine.” Because of its effects on the body’s metabolism, it has the potential to make a person feel more alert and energized.
When a person drinks too much coffee, even much less than a dose deemed as toxic, he or she may feel jittery, have heart palpations, experience anxiety, have headaches, experience trouble getting or staying asleep and even hallucinate. Dizziness, dehydration and arrhythmias are possible as well.
Caffeine dosage considerations
Although a human being without any medical problems is able to consume a few cups of coffee per day without any harm, those with caffeine sensitivities may react easily to a few cups of coffee. There are also products on the market that are labeled as 100-percent caffeine. These powders are so potent that one teaspoon is the same as drinking 28 cups of coffee, as warned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This dose can be more than enough to cause heart palpations and severe cardiac problems in many individuals. Adding to the danger is that powdered caffeine cannot be accurately measure by common household equipment, making fatal overdose more difficult to prevent upon use.
Caffeine addiction
Keep in mind, caffeine can be addictive just like any other stimulant. This means the more a person uses the drug, the easier it is to get addicted. As such, rehabs in Arizona can come in handy for frequent users. Occasionally, a user may seek out more potent stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine when the high of caffeine isn’t enough. The addiction to these drugs is dangerous enough to require an inpatient drug rehab Arizona.
Serious caffeine overdoses
When the powder is snorted like some people do to achieve a more instant high and quicker, the issues are even worse. In some cases, they may result in death like the case of Logan Stiner, an 18-year-old high school student in LaGrange, Ohio, who was just days away from graduating high school. Other cases have been reported of seizures, tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, requiring medical assistance.
Rehabs in Arizona not only receive patients who faced caffeine overdoses but also individuals who used caffeine and then went on to other drugs. Teens are even more susceptible to overdosing on caffeine because they don’t realize just how dangerous a legal substance like caffeine can be in high doses. People should limit their intake to the recommended maximum of four cups of coffee, soda or tea per day and avoid caffeine in other forms. Otherwise, serious physical and mental symptoms can occur.