>>10875829Can't tell if this is a joke or not as far as it being similar in any way to caffeine or anything else in coffee.
Cocaine strongly affects the big three neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine) - STRONGLY. It's a reuptake inhibitor, and a nonselective one at that which is what makes it different from antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs). It prevents those three from going away from the synapses (the space between neurons in the brain), which is what causes them to work.
Caffeine, on the other hand, works almost exclusively by altering adenosine in the brain, which causes alertness and increases heart rate, etc. It has a negligible effect on dopamine in one part of the brain. It basically doesn't touch any of the big three neurotransmitters from above. That's why it's not a recreational drug.
Obviously, people still like caffeine because it makes them feel awake and reduces the unpleasant feelings that come with drowsiness or low energy. And, because it produces dependance (tolerance and withdrawal), those who drink coffee on a regular basis will feel worse if they don't have any for awhile than they would have if they hadn't used it regularly.
There is no reasonable comparison between the two. Cocaine is also neurotoxic over long periods of time with regular usage.
>>10876271>Coffee is very similar in structureNo it's not. Like... not even remotely close whatsoever.
