Drug addictions come in many forms. Caffeine is an addictive drug. Drinking 42 liters of Diet Coke per week is an addiction problem! Following is a real-life story that you don’t see every day.

Darren Jones knows he needs rehab to cure a bizarre addiction to diet cola. The 38-year-old knocks back 42 liters of the drink every week.

Now the 500-pound father of two is vowing to get treatment for his $150 a week habit to get fit again and save his relationship with 33-year old mother of two Paula Mullen.

Darren, of England, panics when he gets too close to running out of diet pop. He rarely leaves the house due to his size and relies on his wife to pick up the voluminous amounts of soda.

One of the reasons he has not gone to rehab yet is the heavy cost. You would think in a European country with socialized medicine you would be able to get affordable treatment for any addiction.

Darren has been downing the equivalent of 18 cans a day for the last 10 years after he started drinking Diet Coke as a 13-year-old boy.

He was eventually diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure and found it hard to move about and lost his job as a taxi driver in 2007.

His friends even pay him in Diet Coke’ for gas money.

He admits he has to have at least six liters a day, more in the summer, and buys the two or three liter bottles because they are cheaper.

Diet Coke is sweetened with the artificial sweetener aspartame and contains caffeine. Too much of either of these chemicals may cause harm. I would advise trying to cut down on the amount he drinks but not stopping suddenly.

I hope he is able to kick the habit. Perhaps taking an online drug class will get him started on understanding the nature of addiction. He should begin weaning himself off the Diet Coke ASAP.

Americans drink coffee by the potful.  I remember my grandmother keeping a pot brewing all day long, probably downing a pot or two a day.  How all that liquid fit into her tiny 4-foot-120 frame is anyone’s guess.  But does coffee consumption lead to drug use?

"Scientific" studies are getting more irresponsible every day. A recent study will be picked up by many media though, because the headlines are so sensational. “Coffee and Energy Drink Lovers More Likely To Become Drug Addicts” one article says. Others broadcast “A Love of Coffee Could Hook You on Drugs”, and “Caffeine Response Predicts Addiction”. Parents are being warned that their kids may become druggies if they like coffee or soda.

Crazy Study

The University of Vermont should be embarrassed by the hype over the study of 22 subjects. These subjects were given choices of caffeine or placebos and then given d-amphetamine. Those reporting a positive response to one were more likely to like both.

The researchers stated that people responding favorably to caffeine’s effects might be more vulnerable to other stimulants’ effects. They were quick to point out that everyone who enjoys caffeinated drinks won’t take up cocaine, however.

In fact, without spending a dime on a study, it can probably be stated that the percentage of University of Vermont students who abuse drugs is higher than the percentage of soda and coffee drinkers who abuse drugs.

There is a world of difference between participating in a study which offers a person chemicals and that person’s experience in the real world. Most Americans grow up seeing people drinking coffee and soda and take up one or both of those beverages themselves. Unfortunately, there are a lot of cola and sugar “addicts”, but that’s still a long way from taking amphetamines.

While there likely are people who drink coffee just for the jolt, who soon want something stronger and move to drugs, there is more to it than just the sensation.  What parents should really be concerned with, rather than how much coffee or cola their teen likes, is how to help build self-esteem and self-control in their children.

It takes much more than a liking of caffeine’s effects to predict drug abuse. Coffee is much more than caffeine, and enjoyed in moderation has many proven health benefits. Brew on in good health. Coffee drinkers look safe for now.