The carbonated soft-drinks industry is the most profitable drinks industry. There are three reasons for this. Firstly, the cost of producing carbonated drinks, such as cola and lemonade, costs the producer a fraction of the item’s selling price to make. Secondly, carbonated soft-drinks are purchased by the largest cross-section of society. Not only are soft-drinks popular amongst children and teenagers, they are a common addition to alcoholic beverages and often chosen by adults wishing to avoid alcohol. So the large target-audience of soft-drinks is another factor which contributes to the profitability of such products. Finally, research suggests that certain carbonated soft-drinks contain chemicals which have a mildly addictive quality. Caffeine is one such substance but there may be others. Therefore, many consumers of carbonated drinks are likely to be affected by such substances, leading to repeat purchases and even dependence. Such factors are to the advantage of the industry and lead to the increased profitability of their products but are frowned upon by industry regulators.