Louis Goldman

Louis Goldman was a doctor with the UCLA Medical Center. He was interviewed by a local television station on a special report dealing with the illicit drug caffeine.

Goldman acknowledged that the drug had some beneficial properties in low doses. It could be a mild stimulant to the central nervous system and heart. It also relaxed bronchial muscles and was a mild diuretic. However, this would occur only at doses of 50-100 mg. Addicts were known to use several grams per day and this was much more dangerous and outweighed any benefits. He also commented on the ease of addition and that it was both physical and psychological. It led to cravings for higher and higher doses or as he put it "the more you take, the more you want".

The health risks Goldman pointed to were that caffeine was a stimulant and so caused insomnia, irritability and restlessness. Caffeine also constricted blood vessels. A small dose reduced blood flow to the brain up to 25% There had been reported cases of ringing in the ears and visions of flashing lights. It also worsened gastric ulcers causing great distress.

Finally, in animal tests large doses could cause death. At this, the reporter challenged him, asking if any people had died. Goldman reluctantly admitted that there have not been any substantiated cases of human deaths but there had been anecdotal reports of smugglers dying when condoms filled with the drug they had swallowed had burst.