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"Cocaine" Drink

Started by Chers penis, September 23, 2006, 09:39:50 PM

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Chers penis

This article is, sadly, from the Daily "Hate" Mail but it's a story i find quite worrying:

QuoteAnti-drug campaigners today attacked the makers of a soft drink who have called their product cocaine.

The high-energy drink is being billed as a "legal alternative" to the class A drug, using a massive hit of caffeine instead of cocaine.

Its maker claims the title is "a bit of fun" but critics slammed the technique as a cynical ploy which could tempt young people into using drugs.

The drink's inventor, Jamie Kirby, said: "It's an energy drink, and it's a fun name. As soon as people look at the can, they smile."

He claims Cocaine is "350 percent stronger than Red Bull" but that people do not experience the "sugar crash" or jitters that he says some of the other energy drinks can produce.

But David Raynes, of the UK National Drug Prevention Alliance, said: "It is people exploiting drugs. It is a pretty cynical tactic exploiting illegal drugs for their own benefit."

Las Vegas-based drinks company Redux Beverages is producing the drink which contains 280 milligrams of caffeine. According to the company's website, the only way to get more caffeine per ounce is with an espresso.

Mr Raynes added: "The fact is that subliminally, it is making the image of drug use cool and that's what kids what to be, cool.

"Kids will be drinking Cocaine and will inevitably link the two. The drink is relatively innocuous, but they will be linking it with cocaine use and the market, which is far from innocuous."

Dr Charles O'Brien, a professor and vice chairman of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, said: "It's just a bad idea and has all the same downsides of too much caffeine plus a very bad name."

The company has received inquiries about selling Cocaine in Britain and throughout Europe. At the moment it is being sold only in the Los Angeles and New York metropolitan areas - mainly to teenagers.


The people responsible for this "drink" should be shot, I find it completely irresponsible to manufacture a product with the name of a Class A narcotic and then claim it is just as good, clearly it's not or it would be illegal.
When I was a child I remember shops used to sell candy cigarettes which were funded by tobacco companies which i now realise is not right but at the time thought was cool.
The fact that a child could purchase this product will, in my opinion, make the use of real cocaine later in life a much easier choice to make. Having had a coke problem several years ago I can assure you that this is not a substance that should be taken so lightly. If there is one thing I hate more than the demonisation of drugs it's the glamourisation of it, at least with the former people will be less eager to take drugs and if they do they will approach it with caution.

Dusty Gozongas

Acid drops.  Ooops!


Well somebody has to post the first facetious remark.

Catalogue Trousers

And I'll be the first to make the obvious "this sounds like something straight out of Nathan Barley" comment. Because it does.

Oh, and the naming is a piece of irresponsible wankery. But of course, it'll get the makers the publicity that they really want.

/truthful but extremely boring point that everyone's made before rant

Pinball


Dusty Gozongas

Quote from: "Pinball"It's an Energy Shake.

We've all done that. What's all the fuss?

seville star

I'm having an Energy Shake as I type this.

Pinball

Well maybe Energy Tremor is more realistic (caffeine-induced that is) ;-)

Chers penis

QuoteIt's an Energy Shake

I know that, but it's an energy shake that's called COCAINE, and claims to be as good as the real thing.

Suttonpubcrawl

Jesus Christ man, 350% stronger than Red Bull? Anyone who so much as sniffs that will get the shits on a scale never before thought possible. It would also surely make drinkers of it feel incredible nervous and generally unpleasant. Look at this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine#Caffeine_intoxication.

QuoteAn acute overdose of caffeine, usually in excess of 250 milligrams (more than 2-3 cups of brewed coffee), can result in a state of central nervous system overstimulation called caffeine intoxication. The symptoms of caffeine intoxication may include restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushing of the face, increased urination, gastrointestinal disturbance, muscle twitching, a rambling flow of thought and speech, irregular or rapid heart beat, and psychomotor agitation.[29][32]

You'll notice that one can of this stuff contains an amount of caffeine in excess of 250mg (280mg to be precise), so it'll instantly put a lot of people in a bad state. Large quantities of caffeine are a serious thing and caffeine intoxication is not at all pleasant as a mental experience. If caffeine doesn't agree with you, that amount of it will fuck your head. I understand this drink will be sold in a non resealable can. That's a bit like selling someone a pint of vodka in a can! It encourages people to drink the whole thing (and obviously that's the intention).

Quote from: "Chers penis"The people responsible for this "drink" should be shot, I find it completely irresponsible to manufacture a product with the name of a Class A narcotic and then claim it is just as good, clearly it's not or it would be illegal.

Yes, they should be done under the trade description act. This will put cocaine dealers out of business! Honest sellers of high quality cocaine shouldn't have to compete with this non-class A rubbish, which is clearly not "as good".

QuoteWhen I was a child I remember shops used to sell candy cigarettes which were funded by tobacco companies which i now realise is not right but at the time thought was cool.

I used to buy those occasionally (although not very often because they didn't taste very nice). I've never smoked. They're just sweets!

QuoteThe fact that a child could purchase this product will, in my opinion, make the use of real cocaine later in life a much easier choice to make.

The problem with a child purchasing this product isn't that it'll make them a cokehead, it's that if they consume that amount of caffeine they'll probably become very ill. There's no way children should be allowed to buy it.

Thing is though, it seems like it's only a very small scale drink that has been blown up out of all proportion by the media hype surrounding its name. I doubt I'll see this on sale anywhere for a long time, if ever at all. It's probably only available in a select few American bars, I doubt it can be bought anywhere in the UK. However, I'm still pretty shocked by the amount of caffeine and feel compelled to rant excitedly about it in the way I would say "fucking hell! That was loud!" if a jet plane flew over me while 10 metres above the ground.

ColaCoca

Quote from: "Suttonpubcrawl"
Thing is though, it seems like it's only a very small scale drink that has been blown up out of all proportion by the media hype surrounding its name.

That seems to be exactly right, the first page of their website is apologising for outages because they got seven million hits in two days since the story hit the presses, so if it takes off and loads of kids become cokeheads as a result you can thank the Daily Mail et al.

Cack Hen

Quote from: "Suttonpubcrawl"Large quantities of caffeine are a serious thing and caffeine intoxication is not at all pleasant as a mental experience. If caffeine doesn't agree with you, that amount of it will fuck your head. .

I learnt that the hard way. Last year I, for some reason decided to pull an all nighter knowing I was going to be out all day the next day so I started consuming strong black coffee like it was water all night. It made me feel very, very energetic and quite happy (if a little bloated) but then while out at about 11am the next day I started to feel very gloomy and light headed. I went home and within an hour started to feel seriously depressed to the point where I was sobbing on the floor. I didn't have any particular reason to be that depressed, and it just sprung out of nowhere.

So yeah, absolutely lethal stuff in some people it seems. I had no idea prior to that that it could be so dangerous. I mean, if I actually was very depressed I'd have probably killed myself.

butnut

Having had some experience of having to work through the night (control yourselves, ladies) I would certainly recommend avoiding caffeine if possible. It's far better to drink lots of water and eat things like bananas to keep your energy levels up.

Chers penis

QuoteThe problem with a child purchasing this product isn't that it'll make them a cokehead,

I don't think this thing will mean that the kid will definately end up on coke but i think it makes it more likely, after years on this "drink" they might get so ill that suddenly they think "Well if this "cocaine" is legal, I wonder what the illegal shit's like".

Suttonpubcrawl

Quote from: "Chers penis"I don't think this thing will mean that the kid will definately end up on coke but i think it makes it more likely, after years on this "drink" they might get so ill that suddenly they think "Well if this "cocaine" is legal, I wonder what the illegal shit's like".

What are you saying? I can follow you to the point where you say they'll feel ill on this dodgy energy drink, but I don't see why that would then make them try real cocaine. Surely these hypothetical people who are stupid enough to be influenced by an energy drink with a silly name would, after years of having the shits, think "blimey, this cocaine drink is dodgy and it's legal, the illegal stuff is probably even worse!". But let's get back to the real issue. Is there anyone stupid enough to actually think this drink is anything to do with real cocaine, and/or be influenced into taking cocaine by a crap drink with a silly name? I think if there is, they probably deserve a coke addiction.

Pinball

I researched an article on Coca Cola once, which I believe contained cocaine until 1903. The elderly President of the Br Medical Association also wrote an article in the Lancet in the 1890s about how wonderful Coke was at keeping his energy levels up. heh

hencole

Quote from: "Chers penis"

The people responsible for this "drink" should be shot, I find it completely irresponsible to manufacture a product with the name of a Class A narcotic and then claim it is just as good, clearly it's not or it would be illegal.

Because somethings illegal it makes it stronger. Nonsense. Drink 10 cans of redbull, and compare its effects to cocaine. I know which I think is the safer option.

Tobacco and alcohol have also recently been ranked in the top 5 of harmful drugs.

Santa's Boyfriend

Quote from: "Pinball"I researched an article on Coca Cola once, which I believe contained cocaine until 1903.

it still does contain some kind of extract from coca leaves, hence the differing taste to other colas (which don't, but do contain extract from cola berries).  There are other secret ingredients too, but coca leaves are still used as far as I know - but these days the active ingredient is removed.  In fact, I think that the Coca Cola corporation is the only group that can legally grow coca leaves in the US and Europe.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Caffeine in large quantities has a similar effect with me as well- the upside being fairly hyperactive and the downside feeling depressed. This drink simply by its ingredients alone if offensive, but it's also called 'Cocaine'. I mean who the fuck marketeer could even look someone in the eye and propose that. It is ridiculously obvious that this will encourage teenagers to go "Huhhur!! I'm having cocaine!", as very few adults will be moronic enough to purchase it.

Whether this inspires teenagers to take actual cocaine is debatable, though I think anything that confuses the issue between what cocaine is and what cocaine isn't for teenagers can only be damaging.*

*I mean imagine going to a dealer and asking for a can of cocaine. Cough.

Pinball

Quote from: "Santa's Boyfriend"
Quote from: "Pinball"I researched an article on Coca Cola once, which I believe contained cocaine until 1903.

it still does contain some kind of extract from coca leaves, hence the differing taste to other colas (which don't, but do contain extract from cola berries).  There are other secret ingredients too, but coca leaves are still used as far as I know - but these days the active ingredient is removed.  In fact, I think that the Coca Cola corporation is the only group that can legally grow coca leaves in the US and Europe.
Which begs the question - if a drink called "Cocaine" is banned, should "Coke" also be banned...? ;-)

Whirlybird

I don't know why anyone would take cocaine (the drug, obviously.)  It turns people into complete and utter raving arse-holes, it squeezes any insecurity out of them, and replaces it with a nauseating amount of arrogance.  Perhaps that's why some people choose to take it, although I could only see any real benefit from that in a creative field...and even then, it's synonmous with a drop in creativity.

I've seen the effects on people both off and online.  Nice, kind generous people suddenly turn into completely nasty and self-obsessed dick-heads, even if they're just dabbling on a fairly irregular basis.   Since when was arrogance an attractive character trait?  That's all cocaine is...arrogance in powder form.

It's one substance I would never even try.

phes

QuoteI don't know why anyone would take cocaine

it's nice.

that's why.

Brutus Beefcake

This seems like a very cynical way of drumming up publicity before they release the drink under the real name that they were going to use all along.  I look forward to trying the drink though, I love getting fucked up on caffeine.


And I miss those candy cigarettes, fucking PC brigade!

Pythov

Does this drink or the parent company Redux Breweries actually exist?

I am on a slow internet connection and I have given up trying to find the company website - all I have found are 3rd party stories about this drink, with no link to an official company.

BroadBand whores please help; is this a wind-up or is there really a company that is really doing this?

I like to think it's all bollocks.

BagJob

I thought that there was a legal limit to the amount of caffeine that a drink could contain. I believe it is something like a maximum of 320mg/litre.
I don't see how this '350% stronger than Red Bull' claim could be true. Sounds like something only complete idiots would drink anyway.

imitationleather

I bet this drink is a fuckload more expensive than real cocaine.

The Plaque Goblin

Perhaps Horlicks could be rebranded as Heroin.

Chers penis

Smarties could be renamed "Smart-E's"

Bogey

QuoteLas Vegas-based drinks company Redux Beverages is producing the drink which contains 280 milligrams of caffeine. According to the company's website, the only way to get more caffeine per ounce is with an espresso.

This bit seems to have been missed. Anybody else like a nice espresso? I know I do! So it's not really that big a deal, caffeine-wise, surely.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

That's caffeine per ounce- presumably this is a long drink 330ml or 500ml rather than a few concentrated espresso drops in a little espresso cup.

Bogey

Ah yes. I didn't think of that.
I don't think I'd be able to manage a whole canful of espresso.
It's fun, with the comically small cups anyway.