What's the secret behind the popularity of Canada's best-selling brand of coffee, Tim Hortons? A liberal dose of nicotine, if you believe everything you read in your inbox. According to longstanding rumors, the company spikes its coffee with nicotine to make it more addictive nevermind that chemical analysis has shown Tim Hortons to be completely free of additives. Read more...


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I have a friend that works at Tim Hortons, and she was the one to inform me that nicotine was added to the coffee. She said that certain videos that they had to watch as regulation of being employed there informed them that there definitly was nicotine added. If this statement is untrue why have so many people heard of this, and where did the rumour originate?
I am a manager at Tim Horton’s, there is NO such video saying that nicotine is added to the coffee, in fact there are videos that show how they make the coffee beans and how natural they are. Just an FYI
also…why is this posted on the internet? why can’t we know the truth?
Are you a Non- Smoker or Against smoking all together ?
Do you ever wonder why you have to have your coffee every morning?
** TIM HORTON’S SHOCKER **
A man from Arkansas came up to Canada for a visit only to find himself in the hospital after a couple of days. Doctor’s told him that he had suffered cardiac arrest. He was allergic to Nicotine. The man did not understand why that would of happened as he does not smoke knowing full well he was allergic to Nicotine. He told the doctor that he had not done anything different while he was on vacation other than having Tim Horton’s coffee. The man then went back to Tim Horton’s and asked what was in their coffee. Tim Horton’s refuses to divulge that information. After threatening legal action, Tim Horton’s finally admitted…..
*** THERE IS NICOTINE IN TIM HORTON’S COFFEE ***
A girl I know was on the patch to quit smoking. After a couple of days she was having chest pains & was rushed to the hospital. The doctor told her that she was on a Nicotine overload. She swore up & down that she had not been smoking. SHE WAS HAVING HER COFFEE EVERY MORNING. Now imagine a woman who quits smoking because she finds out that she is pregnant, but still likes to have her Tim Horton’s once in a while.
THIS IS NOT A JOKE, PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG…. YOU MIGHT SEE THIS ON THE NEWS SOON.
You will also find it posted on the Internet that Guinness beer is made with cow urine and McDonald’s hamburgers are made with ground-up worms.
People lie. Don’t believe every rumor you hear (or read).
Wow you guys are idiots.
THIS IS NOT A JOKE, PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG. IT IS TRUE, YOU ARE AN IDIOT.
I work for Tim Hortons in Southgate Michigan and have never seen nor heard of such things! Where are you guys getting this information and if its true why is it not shown in tests that have to be passes to sell it?
i dont know wats tru i just want 2 find sum information 4 my speech…
k this is probably not true honeslty im writing a speech about it ahah and all i can find is that stupid heart attack rhumourr obviously if there was nicotine in the coffe this story would be everywhere( news papers magasines etc.) but its not and id like to quote the perosn who posted this:
“THIS IS NOT A JOKE, PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG…. YOU MIGHT SEE THIS ON THE NEWS SOON.”
if this was true.. it would have already happened.. and this was posted in november a little over 2 months and theres no sign of it yet.
OMG! kay timmys is amazing! and it makes my day!! i dought these accusations are true! people get so addicted cause its sooo good!!! i bet you the person who started this accusation works ar starbucks or second cup! TIMMYS ROCKS!
stupid people! >.
Who ever believes that Tim Horton’s adds anything to their coffee doesn’t deserve Tim Horton’s coffee.
Just because people are willing to line up to buy Hortons coffe rather than buying coffee from another vendor, some people have begun looking for a sinister explanation other than the fact that Horton’s has good coffee.
Do you really think the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will permit a company like Tim Horton’s to put an additive in their coffee? COME ON PEOPLE…GET A GRIP!!
In case your wondering I have not even heard of the Tim Horton’s rumour in 2004 and have come to the independent conclusion that Tim Horton’s store bought cannister is probably spiked with nicotine. I drank 3 cups of tim Horton’s coffee. After the second cup I placed my han in front of my mouth and breathed out to smell my breathe. Guess what? Smells like NICOTINE!!!
Not only that I felt very noxious
Enoch
you a lying idiot go choke on your cigarettes
Enoch, Nicotine DOESN’T smell
.
It is the tarr that gives the cigarettes the smell
Get your ignorant ass up to date…
Timmies apparently DOES SPRAY the coffee beans with nicotine. I have a friend who has taken a coffe course – to be able to make and serve special coffees in a coffee house and this is what she learned there.
Bull! tims coffee cannot have nicotine in it… it is illegal to have any forms of nicotine in food or food products… it is so addicting because of the freshness and the service of drive thru… wonder why its called a MYTH??!!? its not true…
Interesting, This might make it easier to quit smoking if it were true. Then you just gotta kick the coffee habit.
In contrast to the moron’s (Jim) statement above that nicotine doesn’t have an odor…
“Nicotine has a characteristic pungent odor and turns brown on exposure to air or light. Of its two stereoisomers, S(-) nicotine is the more active. It is the prevalent form in tobacco.”
think before you speak idiot. At do a little research before you open your mouth. I got started on this page because I recently bought 2 pounds of coffee from Peet’s and as I ground it, it left a nicotine odor on my hands that is disgusting. I smoked for 35 years before quitting, I know all too well the smell of nicotine.
Well, nicotine or not, their to-go cups suck, and the TH in my area does not refill china cups inside. Of course, I do not have such epicurian tastes no fru-fru coffee for me, McD’s if fine for me. But, I think that the cream there has something in it.
Snopes has an article on Tim Hortons coffee. It isnt the most thorough article Ive seen, but it does quote the popular rumous and dispells them.
http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/timhortons.asp
See http://healthinmotion.wordpress.com/2007/07/08/is-there-nicotine-or-msg-in-tim-hortons-coffee/ for an indepth article dispelling this nonsense.
It’s caffiene that makes it addictive, morons.
The closest taste in brew coffee to Hortons brew coffee, is Nabob’s Tradition fine grind medium roast. Almost indistinguishable from Hortons own. Slightly cheaper in the stores, but never on sale ala MJB, Maxwell House or Folgers. I suspect Hortons coffee is indeed Nabob Tradition medium roast fine grind. Of course with a Red Hortons label.
I am guessing it is the Caffeine that is addictive myself.
However, here is a link to a gift certificate for a Tim’s Coffee Card.
Test it for yourself. If after trying it you have an uncontrollable urge to smoke there may be some truth in it.
http://surveys.itracks.com/survey/CanadaTalkNow?r=1001
I work at timmys here in Quebec. The rumors are just that. I have never seen any evidence of coffee or anything being spiked.Get a life people
my comment is that i have been a tim horton coffee drinker for several years and just brushed off the rumors of nicotine in the coffee,today may 8/08 i went to tim horotns in my mall,i ordered a extra large coffee and every sip i took tasted like tobacco,i thought this is weird, i got home and asked my daughter to taste it and tell me what it tastes like,within the first sip she blurted out ,oh my god it taste like tobacco.i went on to ask 3 more people to try my coffee and all said it tasted like tabacco.why is it that if coffee is just coffee ,why should it have a tobacco taste then !!!!!
your all a retardeds,for beleeving stupid internet,and not noing english writing,but mostley being retardeds about tabacco tastes,when did you eat smoke’s,i thaught it just tastes liek bad coffy becaz its from tims!!!!!!!1!,
Too much speculation and few facts here. There’s a very undesirable ingredient in Tim’s coffee which may have something to do with getting people to drink it. Don’t be so quick to judge people because there’s a lot we don’t know out there. Check it out at this informative blog: http://healthinmotion.wordpress.com/2008/07/14/tim-horton%E2%80%99s-crack-identified/
Your friend is a liar. An out right liar. I will personally set it up for your to come and view anyone one of our training videos that are viewed company wide and then you can go back to your friend and tell them that they are a liar.
I heard tim horton’s uses cat spray pheromones on their coffee beans. But they don’t use it on their canned ones for sale because then they could be tested.
Nothing special about Timmy’s coffee. I used to work in a facility that does the roasting for Timmy’s coffee.
Its a regular bean with vanilla solids in the roasting process.
No nicotine, no spraying of other unknown chemicals.
Simple, great coffee that has developed into a religion
If tim hortons spiked their coffee with nicotine, thwy would have been already shut down, and I’m sure health and safety inspection would have already reported this when they first opened their doors. I love tim hortons coffee and drink it daily! cheers
It may be the case however that the company who produces the coffee bean plants for Tim Hortons has genetically motified the 100% Arabic bean plants to contain the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) of Nicotine Synthizing Hormones. Thus, making true the claim the Tim Hortons coffee is addictive as well as the caim that there are no additives in the brew. It would be seen as no surprise to the adverage biologist that the Tim Hortons franchise wittnessed an explosion in consumer loyality around the same time that GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)were being approved for human consumption in the USA and Canada. Not surprising is the fact that Tim Hortons coffee is not sold in countries like France, where GMOs are banned for human consumption.
From the Health Canada web Site:
In Canada, foods derived from biotechnology — commonly referred to as Genetically Modified (GM) or Genetically Engineered (GE) foods — are considered to be one class of “novel foods.” Health Canada regulates the sale of novel foods in Canada through a pre-market notification requirement which is specified under Division 28 of Part B of the Food and Drugs Regulations (Novel Foods).
The better question whould thus be; Are the 100% Arabic beans sold to Tim Hortons considered “novel foods”? Why or why not?
You will have 24 hours to answer before I self-destruct, which coincidentally is about how long I can go between coffee runs to Tims.
Nicotine or not, their coffee certainly tastes like an ashtray; except of course to all the fat Canadian chicks in Chevy Cavaliers who can’t tell the difference anyways.
When there is nothing else in Canada…Timmies is great. lol
Two words: 18% creame
Dan w: I certainly don’t get the urge to spark up when I have my daily dose of nicotine. I often get an urge to eat a dooooooooooooooooonut with my TH coffee!
mmmmm doooooooooooooooooooooonuts!
Epic….I love how our society is ignorant enough to all themselves to fall into the vast stereotypes, myths and rumors that are put out.
1) To “smell your breath after 3 coffee” would NOT leave an overwhelming odor of nicotine. It is TRUE that nicotine has a smell, but it is a minor odor NOT at all similar to that of a cigarette. It’s the gasses, chemicals and toxins added to cigarettes that give them their distinct smell.
2) CAFFEINE is proven to be one of the biggest MENTAL addictions there is. I’m sure everyone here can decipher the difference between a MENTAL and PHYSICAL addiction.
3) After all the talk, the conspiracies and rumors…. The first thing I’m doing tomorrow is getting an XL 2×2.
Take care
It tastes like bull piss anyway. Nicotine or not you might as well drink dirty dishwater.
Tim Hortons franchises have huge lines every morning; not because the coffee is good, not because the coffee contains nicotine, or cocaine, or whatever you want to spread rumours about today, but because they have fantastic marketing.
These people have managed to make a mediocre brand of overpriced, low-quality product into a national religion. All these poor saps with their “gotta have my Timmie’s” T-Shirts on, queuing up for that fix every morning is a sad site. Imagine all the money that they waste that could be better spent on their cigarettes, bingo, and lottery tickets!
Tim Hortons is great…I look forward to it
First, Tim Horton’s coffee is crap. The comment above about their clients being fat Canadian chicks driving Chevy Cavaliers is spot on. To me, the taste is like burnt water. There just HAS to be some other explanation, other than taste or good marketing, to explain the popularity…the addiction to this flavourless burnt junk. The most plausible seems to be the genetic modification to the bean (stated above).
To all you who so easily dismiss this, why WOULDN’T a corporation do this??? Are you really that naive? Its really NOT about about giving you a great product for a great price just to make you happy in your horrific routine paycheque to paycheque life….its all about the $$$$$$$$.
Guys, think about this. There is Country Style and many other stores. Why is it that their coffee is not as popular that of Tim Horton’s? I mean why is it that once you drink their French Vanilla, you just want more and more? We all know that caffeine is addictive but Tim Horton’s is using just something else. Their coffee is just so much addictive. I bet alcohol is less addictive than their coffee. I don’t know about the “Nicotine” rumor, however, I bet some type of drug is part of Tim Horton’s French Vanilla. What do you guys say?
People please…dumb people keep propagating dumb roumors. If you are one of those that believe’s Tim Hortons adds nicotine in their coffee then you are from the part of the population that needs to be rounded up and forced surgery to make you sterile so you don’t keep breeding your dumb gene’s back in to our society dragging the smart one’s down!
There is a thing called the food and drug administration. Nicotine is a regulated drug…you just can’t start adding it to whatever you want. If Tim’s added it to any of their products they’d have to go through agency approvals and this would not fly under the radar. also, 1. They’d have to have warning labels on the cup and 2. Couldn’t sell to minors.
Can a teen walk in to Tim’s and buy a coffee…there’s your answer… duhhh.
Can NOT believe people think that health canada would be ok with possible serving minors with addictive substances like NICOTINE! That ‘video’ you watched, where there is DEFINITELY nicotine going in, is a bunch of bull ****. Use your head people. Seriously.
It is funny that everyone thinks that any government should be trusted blindly – i started to look into it after i started making coffee at home to save money – now when i buy the odd Timmies i am very jiddery and just plain wired!!!!! My heart rate is up and i am restless – i guess my body is no long use to what ever is or is not in that coffee!!!!!
“i have been a tim horton coffee drinker for several years and just brushed off the rumors of nicotine in the coffee,today may 8/08 i went to tim horotns in my mall,i ordered a extra large coffee and every sip i took tasted like tobacco,”
I too have found this to be the case on many occasions. The coffee tastes like tobacco. I have had cups that smell and taste like wet cigarettes and couldn’t finish them. The first thing that crossed my mind even before hearing about this rumour, was whether or not the coffee was spiked with nicotine.
Just sayin’.
One last comment. To everyone on this post who writes like this: “i dont know wats tru i just want 2 find sum information 4 my speech…”
Go back to grade 4 and learn how to spell, you’re an insult to your generation.
Can we go back to what Nappan Man said about GENETICALLY MODIFIED crops. This is what we should be afraid of – Health Canada (bless them ;P) is totally ok with and in fact seems to love the idea of gm food. I haven’t found any solid information about gm coffee but look up what they’re doing with other gm foods. Scary!
a coffee shop finally found the perfect blend to make coffee and every body loves it, i think those rummors are made and or started by the competitors because they can not match the sales, taste and value.
cheers tim hortons, you rock!! im having one right now
wow you guys are complete idiots. theres no nicotine in coffee u guys beleive everything you hear and read
I personally find it funny, how we all are first to criticize about a certain product that is put on the market. We all have our own personal likes,dislikes and opinions of certain things. In regards to Tim Hortons Coffee, everyone’s taste buds taste differently to oneself, it may be your taste buds interpretation of the coffee, that allows your senses to taste that “nicotine”, therefore we are all not going to enjoy the same things. So i mean I don’t think its completely fair to Tim Hortons that we criticize there coffee, If you don’t enjoy it, don’t drink it.
does this mean I can smoke it?
Yea I heard It was sprayed with liquid cocaine witch make’s it so addictive. It has nothing to do with the awesome aroma & taste of it, or the amazing service I get every time I go there.
(Special note for all the morons out there)
This is NOT TRUE .. do NOT spread this as a rumor.. I know you actually saw this on the internet.. but it doesn’t make it legit !! -.-’
It just tastes good thats all
)
I would have to say, if you can’t find definite information regarding the ingredients and chemicals used in the food chain, especially in todays new age of substituting nutrition with cost cutting chemicals, then the fix is in.
Companies hire groups to filter out information posted on the internet, but like you would hire a lawyer to protect you from false accusations. Ask yourself why the job of “Web Comment Mediator” even exists??. You people all think you live in a free world where you have all access to all info, but you only know what they want you to know. And most of the important information is hidden from you. Remember steel melts at 1000 degrees F these days…..
I am suffering through a respiratory infection the most debilitating sympton of which is the new apparent smell of coffee as pure cigarette nicotine.
The illness is called Hyposmia and results in poor olfactory function. I literally cannot bear the smell of coffee these days and hope things eventually return to normal.
Do people not know that caffeine itself is addictive?? maybe if people had half a brain they would know this, also that too much caffeine can do all the stuff that supposedly happened to these morons! Do you not know how strict food regulations are in canada? Plus this article clearly states at the end that this has been debunked. Time for a yummy tim’s coffee!!
People have a tendancy to forward emails that scare them or make them wonder about something…they blindly forward them without researching facts and propogate the rumor.
Caffeine makes you jittery if you have too much, not just nicotine. I quit smoking a year ago so when I went to Canada to visit my family and had Timmys every day, why didn’t my urge to smoke come back during or after my visit?
The answer my friends is because it is a lie. A lie which weak-minded individuals are feeding off of because the idea planted in their heads is acting like a placebo and making them think something is there that is not.
Tims rule. Eat our dust Starbucks. All other coffee competitors…just sit back and shut up.