Thankfully the public has finally begun paying attention to the various reports about all the damage soft drinks can do to their bodies; the real news in this story is the great drop in soft drink consumers, not the slight rise in coffee drinkers.

These numbers tell me people are looking for safer alternatives to carbonated beverages that claim to be "soft," yet can expose you and your family to cancer-causing chemicals like benzene and damage your mental health, not to mention elevate your obesity risks exponentially.

However, if you believe coffee is a great deal safer than soft drinks, guess again. Although it depends on how your body metabolizes caffeine based on your unique nutritional type, coffee can also increase your risk of stroke and interfere with regulating your cholesterol levels.

Until you can make the switch to clean fresh water, the best choice of all, I urge you to review these tips for reducing coffee's harmful effects.

On Vital Votes, Jeremy from Oregon, Illinois adds:

"Yes we are making progress. I know that I have told many of my friends and family how I quit drinking soda, store juices, etc. I simply mentioned to them that there is no reason to drink this stuff. All the human body needs to drink is water and that other drinks can dehydrate them and cause aches and pains.

"I set the example every day and a large number of them have followed suit."

Other responses to this article can be viewed at Vital Votes, and you can add your own thoughts or vote on comments by first registering at Vital Votes.