Caffeine, adolescents generates mixed opinions for many

Caffeine is a well-known drug of choice for many students. Found in coffee, teas, and sodas everywhere, it is a key part of many students’ lives, some even becoming addicted. Caffeine has the obvious side-effect of it keeping an all-nighter from turning into a slumber party. However, with those stimulating powers of caffeine, comes the less beneficial side effects. Tales of stunted growth and anxiety are enough to scare some potential coffee drinkers away, but others are not so easily deterred.

Old wives’ tales surrounding caffeine have been passed down for generations. A simple Google search can show how mixed the conversation around caffeine is. “Six Surprisingly Dangerous Side Effects to Coffee” and “10 Healthy Reasons to Drink Coffee” stand side-by-side, leaving curious minds to wonder who to trust. Many know of the argument that caffeine can slow one’s growth. However, other studies say that the antioxidants in coffee can lengthen one’s life span. Some people will swear that nights spent drinking coffee makes them more focused and calm. There appears to be no conclusive answer to be found in the rumors about the true effects of caffeine on students.

There may be few people who know more about students than their teachers. Diane Allan teaches Honors English 3-4 and English 5-6 at Central. She doesn’t try to hide her own affinity for coffee, as evidenced by the Keurig coffee maker displayed behind her desk. She shared what she’s seen regarding her students and caffeine.

“There are quite a few [students who drink coffee],” Allen said, “Actually, over the last ten years or so, kids really do drink a lot more coffee, I think, than they used to.”

She blames this occurrence on the elevated number of coffee shops. It is true that there are 17 coffeeshops within a 20-minute walk from Central.

Allen also doesn’t believe that caffeine is dangerous to the adolescent mind. Allen, who has been drinking coffee since she was 12 or 13 years old, said, “I do think that there should be limits on how much coffee a kid should have and maybe the time of day that a kid has coffee. There may be times when a kid has to power through an assignment in the evening or the day before a research paper is due…”

Junior Gianna Venditte is drinking some form of caffeine all day. “Mostly tea and coffee,” she says, “Every time I drink a Red Bull, my body shakes so much I think I’m going to die so I usually stay away from that.” She believes the amount of sugar in Red Bull and other energy drinks like Monster or Rockstar combined with their high levels of caffeine causes a reaction different than that of coffee or tea.

Venditte also claims her caffeine intake hasn’t affected her school work, saying, “It’s more of a routine thing now than actually keeping me awake. Like, I can drink a cup of coffee and take a nap right after… It’s just like a comfort thing, I would say.”

Of course, not all students drink coffee or tea. Alex Truesdell claims she only drinks coffee once every six months or so and that caffeinated sodas are consumed rarely and mostly in social situations. “We don’t keep it around the house,” Truesdell says, “I don’t really like the taste of coffee.”

When it comes to the health risks of caffeine, Truesdell says, “I’ve heard a lot of that. I’ve never heard anything from either side that’s a trustworthy source. It’s just, like, old wives’ tales.”

It seems as though few people actually believe that caffeine is bad for you anymore. Whether it’s adults that have been drinking coffee since they were teenagers and claim they turned out fine or students who say that their whole family is short and that’s just how they are, the old wives’ tales about caffeine appear to have less of an effect.

Gabe Cisneros, MD has been working in pediatrics for six years and shared some of the views the medical community holds with adolescents and caffeine. “When it comes to any substance like caffeine, it’s important that people know what the effects are on their bodies and how much they’re actually taking,” Cisneros said, “I think that one of the issues with caffeine and caffeinated drinks in particular is that it’s not always obvious how much you’re taking in…. We generally recommend for kids not to have to rely on these things to function…ideally they get a good eight, nine hours of sleep at night”

“It can have some negative side effects in high doses,” Cisneros said, ” For some people that can be having a hard time going to sleep because you’re overstimulated. It can be that you have a lower appetite. Some people will have … eye spasms. And then it can affect your heart rate, blood pressure … Some people have been in the emergency room for taking a lot of these energy drinks because they don’t realize what they’re putting in their body…”

Cisneros did say that he wasn’t aware of any long-term effects of caffeine. He cited a study saying that one cup of coffee a day might reduce the risk of cancer. While the results of the study were most likely because of the natural antioxidants in coffee, it is an example of caffeine not being the dangerous controlling drug some claim it is.

In the end, it’s about control. Getting addicted to caffeine or becoming reliant is the largest danger to a student. Other than that, coffee and tea can help keep someone awake through a long project or it could just be used as a simple hot beverage. Energy drinks may pose more of a threat because of their sugar content, though. So long as one knows their limits and how caffeine effects their body, it seems to be a perfectly fine way of becoming energized. It seems to be as simple as an enjoyment of the beverage. To quote Gianna Venditte, “Coffee is wonderful, so is tea. That’s it.”