Coke

Flush with coke: UK so high on cocaine that users have ‘contaminated tap water’

Experts from the drinking water inspectorate found that cocaine use in Britain is now so high it has contaminated the drinking water supply, even after it has gone through intensive purification treatments, UK media reports.

Scientists found supplies of drinking water contained traces of benzoylecgonine, the metabolized form of the drug after it has been processed by the human body. Benzoylecgonine is the same compound used for urine-based tests for cocaine, the Sunday Times reports.

The findings are an eye-opening indication of how widely the drug is used in Britain.

“We have near the highest level of cocaine use in western Europe. It has also been getting cheaper and cheaper at the same time as its use has been going up,” Steve Rolles, from the drug policy think-tank Transform, told the Sunday Times.

Nearly 700,000 people aged 16-59 are estimated to take cocaine every year in Britain, and there are around 180,000 addicted users of crack cocaine, according to the charity DrugScope.

Health officials stressed that the amounts found in drinking water were very low and unlikely to represent a danger to the public, however.

A recent report from Public Health England found that quantitiess of cocaine at 4 nanograms per liter, around one-quarter of what was found before the water was treated.

“Estimated exposures for most of the detected compounds are at least thousands of times below doses seen to produce adverse effects in animals and hundreds of thousands below human therapeutic doses,” the report states.

Although cocaine use in Britain is among the highest in Europe, its use has actually decreased since the 2008 financial crisis and has been steadily falling among 16-24 year olds, who no longer see it as glamorous – largely because its widespread availability has reduced its subversive appeal.

But among older generations, it still retains its whiff of subversive decadence and glamour.

“It’s ridiculous, I’ve been at parties when there have been more people in the bathroom than outside it, yet this strange etiquette is still upheld. I think it’s partly about exclusion and inclusion – who’s in, who’s out, who’s cool and who’s not. It’s remarkably childish, but if you’re a middle-aged professional who doesn’t get out much, then that bathroom can seem like the hottest ticket in town,” Matthew, a 49-year-old corporate lawyer, told The Guardian.

Coke and Pepsi Among Major Soda Brands Hiding Alcohol Content

Every can of Coke contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar—an inflammatory, an energy sapper, and a leading cause of tooth decay—but it’s the 10mg of alcohol in every liter that might concern consumers the most. A new report reveals that many leading soda brands — including Coke and Pepsi — contain a small amount of alcohol per bottle. The findings are particularly startling for those who object alcohol for religious or spiritual reasons and may be unknowingly consuming it through Coke and Pepsi beverages.

French Scientists Find Alcohol Hiding in Coke and Pepsi

On June 27, Paris-based National Institute of Consumption (INC) revealed that half of the most popular sodas contain minute traces of alcohol – including incredibly popular Coke and Pepsi. In addition to Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola, Coca-Cola Classic Light, and Coke Zero also contain the minute alcohol content. Many cheaper supermarket versions are actually alcohol-free.

Admittedly, 10mg per liter isn’t much (it’s about 0.001 percent alcohol). Because the Qur’an forbids consumption of alcoholic beverages, though, some Muslims may take issue with that small percent, even if the Committee of the Mosque of Paris deems it still in line with their religious beliefs. Others who have decided to abstain from alcohol may also be outraged.

So, what is alcohol doing in soda? Michel Pepin, the scientific director for Coca-Cola France, says that traces of alcohol come from the process of making soda rather than the initial ingredients of its secret recipe. The amount is, however, legal. In fact, even orange juice has some alcohol because ethanol occurs naturally in many citrus fruits, particularly toward the end of harvest season, when the yeasts have had more time to convert sugar into alcohol.

Massive Sugar Content Spikes Disease Rates

Meanwhile, sugar and artificial sweetener consumption has been linked repeatedly with obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. A 2009 study even found that almost half of high-fructose corn syrup (usually in the top two ingredients of soda) contained toxic mercury. So no matter how you look at it, soda is definitely a health destroyer.

Additional sources:

Daily Mail

Oxford Journals

University of Buffalo Department of Psychology

What Chemicals are Really in Coca-Cola’s Coke Soda?

by Christina Sarich October 10th, 2013 Updated 10/10/2013 at 1:44 am

Perhaps you already know that the Coca-Cola Co. has committed atrocious ground-water polluting in other countries, along with creating water shortages. You probably know as well that the company is turning providing the mass population with toxic beverage choices. After reading this quick, informative article, you will understand exactly what you are putting into your body, and this just might make it easier to break the Coke-drinking habit.

The Shocking Drink And Incredible Coke History Of Subliminal Advertising

Looking for a new way to publicize your product? Have you considered implanting suggestions in your current advertising that link your product to sex and power?

The birth of subliminal advertising as we know it dates to 1957 when a market researcher named James Vicary inserted the words “Eat Popcorn” and “Drink Coca-Cola” into a movie.

The words appeared for a single frame, allegedly long enough for the subconscious to pick up, but too short for the viewer to be aware of it. The subliminal ads supposedly created an 18.1% increase in Coke sales and a 57.8% increase in popcorn sales.

Vicary’s results turned out to be a hoax. But more recent experiments have shown that subliminal messages actually can affect behavior in small ways.

A Harvard study from 1999 employed a similar method to Vicary’s — subjects played a computer game in which a series of words flashed before them for a few thousandths of a second. One set got positive words like “wise,” “astute,” and “accomplished.” The other set got words like “senile,” “dependent,” and “diseased.”

Despite the fact that these words flashed far too quickly to be consciously perceived, those who received positive words exited the room significantly faster than those who got negative words.

However, William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist, prominently spoke out against subliminals when the movie adaptation of his book came under fire for including allegedly subliminal messaging. He said, “There are no subliminal images. If you can see it, it’s not subliminal.”

So do advertisers consciously choose to include subliminal messages in their ads? Can they harness subliminal power to associate their products with sex and power? If so, does it actually affect a consumer’s buying decisions? We’ve gathered several ads containing supposedly subliminal messages — you be the judge.

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