Anti-Caffeine Crusade

Caffeine Awareness Month has created some cranky locals in Santa Cruz, California. Of course, it's the caffeine fiends who are complaining about the proclamation, which posits that caffeine consumption poses a hazard to health and longevity. "This is crazy," said one coffee drinker. "A cup of java in the morning is a lot better than the old Turkish enema." Another caffeine fan piled on: "This is the last commonly accepted drug," he said. "The reality is that people need a vice ... and you can't exactly take a heroin break at work." The Santa Cruz crusade is part of a national campaign by Marina Kushner, author of the book, Life Without Caffeine. Perhaps coincidentally, Kushner founded a company that peddles a soy-based coffee substitute.
-- Lewis Wallace