Using Tea, Coffee and Cigarettes after a Stressful Incident

From time to time there have been strong recommendations that people exposed to stressful incidents should avoid coffee and cigarettes for at least 24 hours, as caffiene and nicotine are stimulants which can enhance and stressful memories. My search for a reference which provides a research-based evidence for this conclusion was unsuccessful, so I contacted a number of colleagues in the Traumatic Stress forum on the internet. Here are some of the responses I received.
From Atle Dyregrov (Centre for Crisis Psychology, Norway)...

I have heard Dr George Everly speak about the effect of caffeine, theobromine, theophylline and nicotine and their direct biochemical effect on the stress response several times. In his book "A clinical guide to the treatment of the human stress response" (New York Plenum, 1989) he writes about this without listing primary references. When I teach I usually mention how people should try to keep track of their intake of these things, so that they do not increase their intake (a common result from stress).
From Andrew Leeds (Clinical Psychologist, California, USA)...

The coffee break is calming for psychological more than physiological reasons and that *excess* caffeine consumption is best avoided in individuals suffering anxiety for any reason including post traumatic stress reactions. Nicotine, however, is such a powerfully addicting substance that those who consume it regularily can use it either as a stimulant or as a tranquilizer. I'd guess any advice about cigarette smoking to reduce the risk of adding to post traumatic stress reactions would be to be careful not to smoke significantly more than normal. But advice to cut back might well be counterproductive by producing withdrawal reactions.
From Jim Grold (Psychiatrist, California, USA)...

That makes no sense to me, especially for the individual who relies on coffee or cigarettes for self-soothing. You could easily be adding another trauma to the one just experienced.

My experience leads me to agree with the general opinions of my colleagues. I think having people monitor their intake to ensure caffeine and nicotine are not increased after a stressful incident is going to be more useful, and easier to have people comply with, than recommending total avoidance.