Approximately 63% of American adults drink coffee every day, and the percentage of teens in that mix is climbing every year. About 37% of young adults ages 18-24 consume coffee daily, and an even larger amount enjoy other caffeinated beverages like soda, tea, and energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster, and Rock Star.

Most people do not know where caffeine actually comes from. Everyone just knows it as a substance in most drinks that adds an extra jolt of energy to your day. Caffeine is actually a drug that is naturally produced in the leaves and seeds of many plants. It is also produced artificially, and that is what is often added to food or drinks. In its original form, caffeine is a very bitter tasting substance, but almost all caffeinated drinks go through processing to make it less bitter. That is why most people enjoy the taste of coffee or tea.

As a drug, it stimulates our central nervous system and increases alertness. Caffeine is not stored in the body, but its effects can be felt for up to six hours. Things like anxiety, dizziness, headaches, and trouble falling asleep are common side effects. If you need to stay up late to write that essay you never got around to, a caffeinated drink may be useful. Other than that though, stick to drinking it in the morning so you can wake up, and let it wear off so you can fall asleep at a somewhat reasonable hour. Caffeine is the world’s most widely used psychoactive drug. It can easily become addictive if used every day. Consuming more than 100 milligrams a day will lead to dependence, and teenagers should not be drinking more than that in general. This seems like an unreasonable statistic though, for the reason that most single cups of coffee have around 200 milligrams of caffeine in them.

Most students enjoy a steaming beverage from Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Aroma Joe’s, or our local Perfecto’s to start their day. When asked, Anna Strack said she drinks a caffeinated beverage (coffee, Red Bull, or soda usually) once to twice, maybe three times a day. That would mean she is at least doubling the recommended daily consumption. She is not alone though. Freshmen Katherine Koch and Emma Murphy admitted to drinking coffee or soda at least once a week. Clearly not as often as a lot of students, but they still enjoy it occasionally. Some athletes, like the girls on the Cheering team at KHS, actually had to sign a contract that stated they would not drink caffeinated beverages before practice. Most students thought they could cut back if they tried, but you have to really wonder if they could. When Sam Whalen was asked how he would cut back from his 4 to 5 cups of coffee a week, he simply said “I would probably just ask for decaf.”

As a whole, the adolescent population is becoming more dependent on caffeinated drinks. There always seems to be new flavors and types to try that are just so tempting! More and more research is coming out with statistics about the harm caffeine can have on teenagers though, so keep an eye out. If we all keep our caffeine consumption to a moderate amount, then there is little harm in a small cup of coffee or tea to start your day.

For More Information:

http://www.statisticbrain.com/coffee-drinking-statistics/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/caffeine.html