Great Wall of Caffeination: the 57 Freeway

Local line of demarcation separates the amped up from non-amped up

By OLSEN EBRIGHT

Updated 1:18 PM PST, Mon, Jan 26, 2009

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Chichacha/Flickr Creative Commons

The 57 Freeway, the asphalt barrier that divides Los Angeles from the Inland Empire, has earned a new nickname: "The Great Wall of Caffeination."

According to a new study, Los Angeles is the fifth most caffeinated city in America. On the other side of the spectrum, Riverside/San Bernardino was ranked as the least caffeinated city.

Most Caffeinated:

Tampa
Seattle
Chicago
New York
Los Angeles

Least Caffeinated:

Riverside/San Bernardino
Atlanta
San Diego
Minneapolis/St. Paul
Dallas

The second annual HealthSaver Caffeinated Cities Survey considered numerous caffeine sources, including coffee, tea, sodas, energy drinks, chocolate, pain relievers and caffeine pills.

The survey, released Tuesday, was conducted to "determine the caffeine consumption habits and attitudes of consumers across the U.S., and to learn more about cultural views and health benefits of this morning pick-me-up, afternoon alert booster and late-night indulgence," according to a news release.

"With the advent of rich, high-end coffees, soaring popularity of energy drinks and national fascination with green tea, our (survey) has brewed up some very interesting trends, findings and results," said Brad Eggleston, vice president of HealthSaver. "This groundbreaking research is an important tool to help educate about the health benefits of moderate caffeine consumption in the United States."

Other Survey Findings:

For the second straight year, nearly one-half of all respondents (42 percent) said coffee/specialty drinks would be the hardest to give up.
Men are much more likely than women (47 percent vs. 39 percent) to say coffee would be the hardest to give up, similar to the first annual survey.
Nearly three-fourths (72 percent) of all respondents said they are not addicted to caffeine.
Among age groups, the older the consumer, the more likely they are to say coffee would be the most difficult caffeinated product to give up, a pattern similar to that found last year.

For more information, including last year's numbers and other breakdowns, view the news release here.