Ask A Scientist General Science Archive

Question:  Originally, Coca Cola had cocaine. The current can claims 
"original" recipe. Does this contain cocaine? If not, how can they 
advertise original?
 pat mcdermott

Answer:
I think they're referring to "original" in the sense of "the same
as it was before 1978 or so, when the Coca-Cola company
tried to change the recipe and introduced a new drink called
"New Coke" or, just plain "Coke." So many people got angry and
demanded that the company change back that they started selling
two kinds of coke, "Coke" and "Coke Classic." Nobody bought "Coke"
and so they eventually stopped selling it and now "Coke Classic"
is just plain "Coke" again.
 
Coke had cocaine in it long ago; it is flavored with an extract
from the coca leaf (the plant from which cocaine is extracted).
Back a long time ago cocaine was being touted as "the new aspirin"
and was available from the corner drug store, just like aspirin.
Then people started getting addicted to it, it was made
illegal in the US, and Coke susbtiuted caffeine for the cocaine to
give the drink a "lift" without the addiction...but the coca leaf
extract is still used in Coke as far as I know.
 
Hope this answered your question (which wasn't really about
science, but more about society)...
-dr topper