stimulant news stories on Newser

Coffee Can Make You Hallucinate, Study Says

Kevin Spak — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:19:02 CDT

Caffeine junkies shouldn’t always trust their ears, according to a new study. Subjects who drank the equivalent of seven cups of coffee proved three times more likely to hear voices, and slightly more likely to experience other hallucinations, than those consuming less than a cup’s worth. Researchers theorize that the...

Narcotic Khat Raises Cultural Rift in US

Kevin Spak — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:15:08 CST

In Africa, it’s the perfectly legal pick-me-up and social lubricant of choice, but in America, khat is an illegal narcotic—and its popularity is growing, the Los Angeles Times reports. Cities like Washington and San Diego are stepping up enforcement measures against the green leaf as growing African immigrant populations...

Coffee's Smell Alone Can Perk You Up

Nick McMaster — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:19:23 CDT

The aroma of coffee is enough to wake you up, a new study shows. Smelling coffee stimulated the expression of genes known to reverse the damaging effect of stress and sleep deprivation in test animals’ brains, international researchers tell LiveScience. Coffee’s stimulating effects have been known for ages, but are...

Students Brew Coffee Addiction

Greg Atwan — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 08:15:22 CDT

Overworked kids are hopping up more and more on lattes and macchiatos, as well as even dodgier stimulants, according to U.S. News. Coffee consumption among 18- to 24-year-olds has nearly doubled in three years, while increasingly popular energy drinks like Red Bull and the shockingly christened Cocaine pack multiple...