Coca Cola Sociology

JAVIER CALDERON

COCA-COLA

SOCIOLOGY

KEITH PEREIRA

The Coca-Cola soft drink was created in Atlanta Georgia in 1886, it was created  by Dr. John S. Pemberton. With the growing issue about drug use and alcohol in 1886 Atlanta had to pass a law to control the substance use. Dr. Jonh S. Pemberton created a non-alcoholic drink alternative to his French Wine Coca, he ended up with a syrup, made out of extracts of coca leaves, sugar cane and caffeine, the syrup was then mixed with water. The original formula had 8.43 milligrams of cocaine, and the caffeine was intended to enhance to effects of it and make it more addictive. It was sold to the public for five cents. 

Coca Cole was originally created as a carbonated drink with medical purposes, carbonated drinks were a new thing in the 1880s, it was a popular idea at this time that consuming carbonated beverage was a healthy choice, most pharmacies of this period of time had a fountain machine available to the public to consume as a remedy for different illness, coke manifest’s purpose was to give a non-alcoholic or non-toxic beverage choice to people with addiction problems related with morphine and alcohol. About nine serving per day were sold the first year coke was out, leaving a profit of 50 dollars.

 Obviously coke didn’t work as a medical solution to addiction because of the addictive qualities of the ingredients, but it did prove to have a good taste and as the year passed it became the most popular drink, not just in America but in the world, everywhere you go everyone knows coke. It is advertised as the most refreshing drink there is. Today, on a daily basis, the drink is approximately served 1.9 billion times around the world. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world's top five nonalcoholic sparkling brands, which are Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite. There are also a wide range of other beverages that they produce like: diet and light beverages, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees, energy and sports drinks through the world's largest beverage distribution system (View America: South Atlantic).  Coke has a huge impact on society and it has an effect on virtually everyone, from the smallest store in a town, to the biggest retailer on a city. All the Coke products are fabricated, marketed and delivered locally, which generates jobs, the Coca-Cola Company operates more than 700 facilities in North America, employs more than 100,000 people and gives more than $5 billion in payroll. Coke also works with thousands of suppliers yearly. A study made by the company suggest the for every job Coca-Cola has created, an average of three other jobs have been created for the suppliers and retailers. Coke its also trying to do something good for the environment. Recycling have become a big deal for Coke. Now the bottles and cans of any Coke products are recyclable, about 40% of the bottles and cans that are send out to the market are recover and reuse. In North America about 90% of the trash produce in the making of the drink is being taken away from the landfills and being recycle. The company helps other organization to recycle their waste, with the help of Coca-Cola, NASCAR is able to recycle around 3.5 million containers every year.