Is Coffee Evil?

I know the Mormons aren't crazy about coffee, but I have to wonder aloud why this is so... and why the rejection of this by non-Mormons seems pretty universal. To understand more, here's a quick quote from Mormonism for Dummies:

The Lord's response, contained in D&C section 89, covered far more than just tobacco; it also restricted the consumption of wine, liquor, meat, and hot drinks (today interpreted to mean tea and coffee of any temperature). Although many Mormons understand this scripture as suggesting that all caffeine is bad and should be avoided, this idea isn't official Church doctrine; the Church allows members to decide that issue for themselves, and some members choose to drink cola.

Sounds a little strange to me, but then I'm not the intended audience.

Having said all of that, yesterday I decided to restrict my consumption of coffee (and other caffeine-containing comestibles) to one mug in the morning (about 12 ounces). Yesterday I was really sleepy for a good portion of the day and today I'm more awake in general, but still feeling a little disconnected. Why put myself through this? Although this is the season of Lent (where many people decide to give up something and reflecting on how they are connected with "things" in this world), my reasons are more personal... I hate being addicted to anything and I had begun feeling the morning coffee ritual was necessary to get through the day. Also, my sleeping patterns have been screwy lately, so I figured it couldn't hurt.

What, if anything, are you giving up for lent? And what do you think of coffee/caffeine from a drug/ethics perspective?

Simple Question #007a: Should Drugs Be Legalized?

Who needs coffee? I do, for one. Is that an addiction? Maybe, but since I have a steady supply, it's cheap and legal, and I'm not hurting anyone when I "get high" I think I'll stick with it at least for now. There is one kind of coffee I would probably never try and I'm sure it's possible to overdose, but I don't abuse it that badly.

Some drugs are seriously problematic. Getting addicted is easy. Staying high becomes more important to the user than anything else. Using can destroy your life. Cessation can kill you (or make you wish you were dead). But not all illegal drugs are like this. Maybe there's room for legalization of at least some? Some would argue that marijuana is safer than alcohol. Is a drug okay just because it's legal? Jesus turned water into wine, so it can't be all bad.

Maybe the bigger issue is over whether the legal definitions of drug use are the same as the moral parameters. What do you think?