Caffeine Consumption in Teens - Julita Gorczyca


Caffeine
Julita Gorczyca

Do you drink coffee on a daily basis? Perhaps not, however, what you may not know is that many foods and beverages that we consume everyday contain caffeine. Products like gum, waffles, jelly beans, and chocolate all contain suitable portions of caffeine (Magnus Health, n.d). Many adults might explain the risks of drinking alcohol or smoking cannabis and cigarettes but the risks of caffeine on your health may not be mentioned. Caffeine can cause an increased heart rate, jitteriness and headaches, but it takes less caffeine to produce these same symptoms in teens. Surprisingly, nearly 75% of teens consume caffeine on a daily basis (Magnus Health, n.d). In accordance with this, research has shown that a majority of teenagers and adolescents do not get enough sleep so they are turning to energy drinks and caffeine to feel more awake during the school/work day. Many argue that it is necessary for their sports performance and school performance. The most recent trend in the younger generation that may be familiar are “Prime” energy drinks, which have been recalled in Canada due to their extreme levels of caffeine than the legal limit (Gallant, 2023). 

(Taylor, 2023)


For teenagers about 8- 10 hours of sleep is considered “enough” sleep in a night, however about 1 /3 of Canadians kids don’t get this due to the caffeine intake during the day (Gallant, 2023). After a bad night’s sleep you can become restless and can lead to problems concentrating on your education of athletic performance. Not only can it influence your sleep schedule and increase tiredness but since there is an excess of sugar present in many caffeinated drinks they can cause cavities especially in school age students (Magnus Health, n.d). In 2020, a young 18- year old teenager in Ohio suffered from a caffeine overdose from powdered caffeine (Joy, 2020). He sadly died from cardiac arrhythmia and a seizure after taking a lethal amount of caffeine powder (Joy, 2020). A lawsuit was presented by this boy's father against amazon for $25,000 for compensation (Joy, 2020). This just shows the dangers of using caffeine and the possible health effects when taken in high doses. Because someone can become so dependent on caffeine, it’s important to rethink and limit our uses to reduce potential health effects. 






References

Gallant, I. (2023, September 16). Energy drinks can harm teens’ health. Here’s what experts say parents 

can do. CBC News. 

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat/energy-drinks-can-harm-teens-health-here-s-what-experts-say-parents-can-do-1.6966718


Joy, J. (2020, April 22). Lawsuit on death of Logan Stiner due to caffeine powder goes to Ohio 

Supreme Court. The Morning Journal.

https://www.morningjournal.com/2020/04/22/lawsuit-on-death-of-logan-stiner-due-to-caffeine-powder-goes-to-ohio-supreme-court/


Magnus Health. (n.d). The Surprising Effect of Caffeine on Students and Teens. 

https://magnushealth.com/insights-effects-of-caffeine-on-students-and-teens/


Taylor, H. (2023, February 22). Doctor warns of dangerous caffeine levels in new energy 

drink.[Photograph]. 7 News. https://7news.com.au/news/public-health/doctor-warns-of-dangerous-caffeine-levels-in-new-energy-drink--c-9842168 


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