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Coca-cola was originally promoted as a drink "offering the virtues of coca without the vices of alcohol." Until 1903, a typical serving contained 60mg of cocaine. Today, it still contains an extract of coca leaves. The Coca-Cola Company imports eight tons of coca leaf from South America each year -- a substance that, if carried into the country by any regular citizen, would result in their arrest and incarceration for "drug trafficking..."
It's no coincidence that the name "Coca-Cola" starts with the name of the leaf used to manufacture cocaine: the coca leaf. From the late 1800's, Coca-Cola contained varying amounts of cocaine (about 60mg of cocaine per serving in 1900) all the way up until 1929, when cocaine was finally removed from its formula. That was when all the doctors and dentists who were prescribing coke to their patients said, in unison, "Guess we'll have to start actually addressing their medical problems instead of sending them home with more cocaine." Simultaneously, Coca-Cola executives probably said, "Guess we'll have to find another ingredient that's highly addictive." Hence, caffeine. But that's not until later in this story.
The "Cola" part of the name comes from the "kola" nut -- a nut containing yet an addictive chemical: caffeine. Combine caffeine and cocaine and, not surprisingly, you get a powerful drink called "Coca-Cola" that benefited strongly (from a marketing point of view) from the addictive traits of the narcotic / caffeine combination. It's "The Real Thing," all right, real substance addiction! Hard drugs and Starbucks, all in the same cup!
Not surprisingly, the Coca-Cola company claimed all sorts of health benefits for their product. Coca-cola was introduced in 1886 as "a valuable brain-tonic and cure for all nervous afflictions." Its slogan in 1900 was, "For headache and exhaustion, drink Coca-Cola," a slogan that now seems ridiculous for a beverage perhaps known best for its ability to cause obesity. A 1904 Coca-Cola slogan claims, "Coca-Cola is a delightful, palatable, healthful beverage," and even in recent years, Coca-Cola has called its product "a wholesome beverage." In my view, this is sort of like your neighborhood crack dealer saying, "Yep, this here crack will cure that cancer in no time!" Of course, Coke finally took the coke out of their formula, but they're still using coca leaves.
Still Using Coca Leaves
If you hike a bag of coca leaves through U.S. customs on your way home from, say, Peru, you might be arrested for the federal crime of drug trafficking. Coca-Cola, however, imports nearly eight tons of coca leaves from South America each year (source: Cocaine.org, which appears to be an authority on coca leaves, imagine that...), and still uses those leaves in preparing its soft drinks. The cocaine is, reportedly, removed from the leaves before the leaves are used in the coca-cola manufacturing process. I'm just wondering where all that cocaine really goes. Do they destroy it? Do they sell it out the back door? Does the cocaine go back to Peru? I actually emailed Coca-Cola and asked them this every question. So far, I've received no response other than, "Hold on, we'll reply as soon as we're done snorting..." and I have no idea what that means.
Anyone who has actually been to Peru, by the way, knows that coca leaves are frequently chewed by Peruvian natives (and the ancient Incas, of course) to aid in altitude sickness and enhance stamina. It's what helps a 110-pound Peruvian male wearing leather sandals sprint up a 14,000 foot mountain carrying the 80-pound pack. I know this because I hired the guy to carry my pack. Within seconds, he had sprinted up the mountain with all of my belongings and was out of sight. Hmmm...
But getting back to coca leaves, when they are chewed in their natural form, coca leaves hardly present a drug addiction problem, it's only when they're refined that they become hard drugs. As an occasional medicinal herb, the coca leaf actually does have health-enhancing characteristics, but it seems likely that Coca-Cola was a lot more interested in its profit characteristics than its health characteristics.
As an example of just how important profits are to Coca-Cola, take a look at the company's effort to wipe out competing beverages... like water!
Coca-Cola Declares War on Water
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Friday, January 14, 2005
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