caffeine rises in popularity despite consequences
For junior Aixa Hinckle, each morning begins with a hot cup of coffee.
“The first time I tried coffee, it was the normal coffee that parents make out of a huge tub. I wanted to try it because it smelled good. I ended up putting half a bottle of creamer and a ton of sugar in it, and I still couldn’t drink it all because it was so nasty. Now I can drink coffee black and it’s great,” Hinckle said.
Like many Roberson students, Hinckle views caffeine as a dominating force in modern culture. According to an article published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), children and adolescents are the fastest growing population of caffeine users, with a 70 percent increase in caffeine intake over the last 30 years.
Considered to be a stimulant drug to arouse the nervous system, caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks are being consumed by students on a daily basis.
The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) considers caffeine consumption safe if the level of caffeine does not exceed .02 percent of the beverage, and requires added caffeine in foods to be listed as an ingredient. However, the FDA recommends less than 300 milligrams of caffeine consumed daily, roughly the equivalent of three 8-ounce cups of coffee.
Caffeine consumption has been linked to both positive and negative health effects. According to American Association of Retired People (AARP), daily caffeine use can cause insomnia, increased blood sugar levels, spinal bone loss, and osteoporosis.
However, multiple studies conducted by both the AARP and the National Institute of Health (NIH) have associated caffeine with a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s, protects against uterine and colon cancer, lowers the risk of strokes in older women and can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
School nurse Lynn Smarjesse feels that coffee can be beneficial if consumed in moderation.
“It doesn’t hurt every now and then to have a cup of coffee, but if you have any underlying issues, then it can be bad. You’re hyping your body up, and your energy levels first go up really high and you get a big burst of energy with the sugar and the caffeine, and then it drops you on your head,” Smarjesse said. “If coffee is all you have, you’re not going to feel good in a couple of hours. In fact, you’ll be more tired than when you started.”
Senior Amanda Pritchard believes that both academic and cultural pressures prompt the rising caffeine dependence among students.
“I used to never drink [coffee] before, but then junior year hit. Now it’s a life necessity in order to survive in the mornings. It’s a significant mood change, I’m definitely more tired without it,” Pritchard said.
Freshman Caroline Hemphill agrees that coffee drinking may be prompted by the desire to mimic the older students’ habits.
“A lot of people started this year because Dunkin Donuts is right next to us. You see all of the older kids walking in from their cars holding their cups of Dunkin, and you want to drink it to be like them. I think some people might be [addicted] but they just don’t know it,” Hemphill said.
David Ferguson works at Dunkin Donuts, and sees large groups of high school students purchase coffee daily.
“We probably have anywhere from 60 to 80 high schoolers come through here each day, probably at least 35 to 40 percent of our customers, because we’re right by the school,” Ferguson said.
Caffeine tolerance and addiction correlates with high caffeine consumption. In a study conducted by Johns Hopkins Behavioral Biology Research Center, they found that 30 milligrams of caffeine can drastically affect mood and behavior, and consuming over 100 milligrams of caffeine daily can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms upon abstinence.
Ferguson witnesses caffeine addiction on a daily basis, and believes that it is a major problem. .
“I see people here who have fits if they don’t have their coffee. I even see elementary school kids coming in here and getting a regular coffee, and I’m always surprised their parents let them drink that kind of stuff,” Ferguson said.
Hinckle agrees that addiction can be harmful to teenagers.
“Caffeine is a real addiction, obviously not as harmful and illegal as say marijuana, but anyone can become addicted to anything. As long as it’s done in moderation you’re fine, but there are definitely real consequences to drinking coffee,” Hinckle said. “The first week of the summer, I didn’t drink any coffee, and I went through major caffeine withdrawals with major headaches. It was awful.”
Pritchard recognizes the risks of drinking coffee, but feels that teenagers will not change their habits anytime soon.
“I don’t think that people realize exactly how much caffeine actually affects your body, nor do I think that they try to understand. No one thinks of it as a bad thing. For teenagers, the more caffeine, the better,” Pritchard said.
“The first time I tried coffee, it was the normal coffee that parents make out of a huge tub. I wanted to try it because it smelled good. I ended up putting half a bottle of creamer and a ton of sugar in it, and I still couldn’t drink it all because it was so nasty. Now I can drink coffee black and it’s great,” Hinckle said.
Like many Roberson students, Hinckle views caffeine as a dominating force in modern culture. According to an article published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), children and adolescents are the fastest growing population of caffeine users, with a 70 percent increase in caffeine intake over the last 30 years.
Considered to be a stimulant drug to arouse the nervous system, caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks are being consumed by students on a daily basis.
The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) considers caffeine consumption safe if the level of caffeine does not exceed .02 percent of the beverage, and requires added caffeine in foods to be listed as an ingredient. However, the FDA recommends less than 300 milligrams of caffeine consumed daily, roughly the equivalent of three 8-ounce cups of coffee.
Caffeine consumption has been linked to both positive and negative health effects. According to American Association of Retired People (AARP), daily caffeine use can cause insomnia, increased blood sugar levels, spinal bone loss, and osteoporosis.
However, multiple studies conducted by both the AARP and the National Institute of Health (NIH) have associated caffeine with a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s, protects against uterine and colon cancer, lowers the risk of strokes in older women and can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
School nurse Lynn Smarjesse feels that coffee can be beneficial if consumed in moderation.
“It doesn’t hurt every now and then to have a cup of coffee, but if you have any underlying issues, then it can be bad. You’re hyping your body up, and your energy levels first go up really high and you get a big burst of energy with the sugar and the caffeine, and then it drops you on your head,” Smarjesse said. “If coffee is all you have, you’re not going to feel good in a couple of hours. In fact, you’ll be more tired than when you started.”
Senior Amanda Pritchard believes that both academic and cultural pressures prompt the rising caffeine dependence among students.
“I used to never drink [coffee] before, but then junior year hit. Now it’s a life necessity in order to survive in the mornings. It’s a significant mood change, I’m definitely more tired without it,” Pritchard said.
Freshman Caroline Hemphill agrees that coffee drinking may be prompted by the desire to mimic the older students’ habits.
“A lot of people started this year because Dunkin Donuts is right next to us. You see all of the older kids walking in from their cars holding their cups of Dunkin, and you want to drink it to be like them. I think some people might be [addicted] but they just don’t know it,” Hemphill said.
David Ferguson works at Dunkin Donuts, and sees large groups of high school students purchase coffee daily.
“We probably have anywhere from 60 to 80 high schoolers come through here each day, probably at least 35 to 40 percent of our customers, because we’re right by the school,” Ferguson said.
Caffeine tolerance and addiction correlates with high caffeine consumption. In a study conducted by Johns Hopkins Behavioral Biology Research Center, they found that 30 milligrams of caffeine can drastically affect mood and behavior, and consuming over 100 milligrams of caffeine daily can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms upon abstinence.
Ferguson witnesses caffeine addiction on a daily basis, and believes that it is a major problem. .
“I see people here who have fits if they don’t have their coffee. I even see elementary school kids coming in here and getting a regular coffee, and I’m always surprised their parents let them drink that kind of stuff,” Ferguson said.
Hinckle agrees that addiction can be harmful to teenagers.
“Caffeine is a real addiction, obviously not as harmful and illegal as say marijuana, but anyone can become addicted to anything. As long as it’s done in moderation you’re fine, but there are definitely real consequences to drinking coffee,” Hinckle said. “The first week of the summer, I didn’t drink any coffee, and I went through major caffeine withdrawals with major headaches. It was awful.”
Pritchard recognizes the risks of drinking coffee, but feels that teenagers will not change their habits anytime soon.
“I don’t think that people realize exactly how much caffeine actually affects your body, nor do I think that they try to understand. No one thinks of it as a bad thing. For teenagers, the more caffeine, the better,” Pritchard said.