You already know nicotine and caffeine, even sugar, can be addictive, right? Well what about candy itself or, in this case anyway, a match-three puzzle video game that just happens to be called Candy Crush Saga?

People pass the time during snowstorms, or even when there are no snowstorms, with Candy Crush Saga and other Facebook games.Addicting, or some other variant of the word, is exactly what many folks are calling this candy switching game, developed in 2012 by King (aka King.com) for Facebook. In fact, it is reported that it has even surpassed Farm Ville 2, a farming simulation social network game that was previously Facebook's most popular game, with an average of 46 million users per month.And many local players, and even non-players, agree. Whether describing themselves or someone they know who plays Candy Crush Saga, many respondents to a recent Times News Facebook question about it chose the word "addicting.""Months ago I quit because it's addicting, and I'm not going to be addicted to Candy Crush Saga," explains 26-year-old Matthew Paul Cramer of Jim Thorpe, who says he recently conquered his habit of playing it daily. "I'm not going to sit on the computer all day long to play it like one of my friends (does)."Cramer, who says he is sorry he ever started playing the game, even uses familiar addiction comparisons when describing it. He says the game interferes with daily activities because it can "take away from your day or your kids", offers no redeeming social value because it "will not teach people anything" and can even have detrimental physical effects because it is "not relaxing (and instead) makes people more hyper."Cramer even says he feels peer pressure to play it, noting that he wishes friends would stop sending him play requests on Facebook.Cramer advises parents to "steer (kids) away from it," including blocking the game from their Facebook accountsLikewise, and similar to cautious observers of people struggling with other addictive habits, some folks purposely choose to not even try it."I'm glad I never started playing it," says Brandon Anthony, 24, of Lehighton, who notes his fiancée plays Candy Crush Saga. "Stay away from it. It will eventually cost you time and money, money because you have to buy extra lives for the game."The "extra lives" to which Anthony refers are ones purchased from Facebook after a player's initial five lives are deducted due to failing to complete a level. Other ways to gain a life are to wait 30 minutes for one to regenerate or to ask Facebook friends for help by paying Facebook credits.Each level has a game board in which you can mix and match sweets in a combination of three or more to gain points and other bonuses. However, the game board may also contain obstacles, and a player needs at least one life to play each level.But while some spectators and players bemoan the game as being detrimental, others claim it is quite the opposite.For instance, though Wendy Highland, 39, of Lancaster, does admit to being "that person standing beside you at the bus stop and looking over your shoulder to see that you're playing Candy Crush (then) asking what level you're on," she calls it simply "totally mindless entertainment to subdue the boredom."She says she began playing it while working on a special project for her job that provided both a lot of downtime and access to Wi-Fi. Highland adds that she's glad she started playing and still enjoys it.Likewise, Courtney Smith, 31, of Lehighton, says she plays Candy Crush Saga "because it's fun and it's good to play games sometimes to keep the brain active."She says she only plays the game once or twice a week and that it has never taken her away from other obligations. Instead, she says it provides "relaxation and a sense of accomplishment when you finally beat the level you were stuck on."When asked whether or not she is glad she ever started playing it, Smith says, "Sure. It's only a game!"But then, adding a slight word of caution, she says "(just) don't let it consume you."If you miss out on Candy Crush Saga, you can catch the wave with another game. Pepper Panic Saga and Papa Pear Saga are also gaining popularity on Facebook.