Jane Brown decided New Year’s was the perfect time to kick herCoke habit – Coca-Cola, that is. But she never thought it could beso easy.

“I used to drink Coke every morning for the caffeine, but Idecided to stop because it was so much sugar,” she said, addingthat she decided to trade in soft drinks for a coffee fix. “I’vebeen hooked on coffee ever since.”

Brown, who works for a McComb law firm, said as soon as sherealized Brookhaven had coffee shops, her resolution didn’t seem sodismal. The white chocolate latte at Brookway Boulevard’s City Perk”perked” her right up.

“If I don’t have my coffee, I feel like I’m asleep at my desk,”she said.

And Brown is not the only one with this problem.

Everyone knows someone who has to have their caffeine in orderto function each day. Research has shown that regular caffeine usecan trigger a physical dependence, and quitting cold turkey cancause real withdrawal.

City Perk manager and owner Terry Weldon said he has quite a fewregular customers. While he thinks some of them have a legitimatecoffee craving, for some it’s simply the fun of a coffee shop.

“Some of them are definitely in it for the caffeine,” he said.”But some like to just come in and sit in the shop and relax.”

And while people frequent his shop and another coffee mecca,Shared Moments on West Cherokee Street, there are others who havelong-standing traditions of other ways to mainline that fix.

Charlie James said he’s been drinking McDonald’s coffee firstthing in the morning for 20 years. A construction worker, Jamessaid he’s got to have his straight black coffee to be able tofunction on the site.

“It’s what it takes to pry my eyes open,” he said. “There’s daysI don’t remember driving to the McDonald’s, but I know once I getthat first drink of coffee it sets me right.”

Weldon said even though his shop has coffees in all differentflavors, he can still tell the serious drinkers from the ones whojust enjoy the sugar rush.

“We’ve got some hardcore coffee drinkers,” he said. “They’llcome in here and order café latte and cappuccino, and some getstraight espresso. Those are sugar-free, so you know for them it’sthe caffeine.”

In larger cities, there may be a coffee shop on every corner.But when he moved to Brookhaven, Weldon saw that he could helpcoffee drinkers meet a need, he said.

“I moved here six years ago and I was used to having good coffeeevery day, not just the kind from the gas station or wherever,” hesaid. “Eventually I got to where I was able to open the shop.”

Brookhaven resident Kelly Miller said getting “fancy coffee” isone thing she likes to do when she goes to other cities on shoppingtrips or other errands. Connections in Wesson is also a pit stopfor her.

“I have to stop at the Starbucks when I go to Jackson,” shesaid. “And Wesson has that place on Highway 51. I never liked blackcoffee, but I like coffee when it tastes like a milkshake.”

Still, Weldon said, for many it’s just the idea of having aplace where they can go and sit and smell the smells and talk tofriends.

“Most people I see right now are addicted to the experience,” hesaid.