Lattes and late nights

Gabriella Socarras

Starbucks is a popular way for Carrollton student to get caffeinated.

Every day, students crowd the halls of Carrollton, balancing venti drinks from Starbucks, cans of Celsius, or holding mugs filled with tea. There is no shortage to the lineup of options students have when it comes to choosing their favorite caffeinated beverages. With coffee being one of the most consumed drinks in the world and energy drinks growing in popularity over the years, caffeine consumption is increasing among young people at a national level. 

In a recent survey of 104 9-12th grade students at Carrollton, 26% consume coffee daily, while 21% drink it “almost every day,” and 34% consume it between once and twice a week. While 19% said they never drink coffee, five of these admitted to occasionally having an energy drink or a Starbucks refresher in times of increased stress.

And even if it’s not coffee, many students still have caffeine in one way or another. 50% of all responders said they consume energy drinks such as Celsius, Red Bull, and Alani, which contain 200mg, 111mg, and 200mg of caffeine, respectively. Apart from coffee and energy drinks, many students consume lower amounts of caffeine in a variety of teas including green tea, chai, boba. A newer source of caffeine for students is matcha; however, this could be attributed to aesthetic reasons as much as the desire for an energy boost. Finally, some responders admitted to taking energy gels for sports or chewing caffeinated gum. 

Adriana Ferreira de Melo ’28 is an avid coffee drinker who states that she consumes caffeine “probably every day,” primarily lattes and cappuccinos. “I need something for breakfast, and they’re fast to make,” she said. “I also need them for energy.” 

Other students such as Andrea Yu ‘28 say they need caffeine in order to get through the day. “With all the schoolwork I have to do at night, I go to sleep late and then I have to get up early for morning practice,” she said. This situation is not uncommon, as some sports teams practice as early as 6:00 a.m. leading many students to struggle to stay awake in class without caffeine. 

But how much is too much? While the Food and Drug Administration does not mention a safe level of caffeine consumption for teens, most adults can handle up to 400mg per day. That translates to about four cups of coffee. And the FDA warns that “too much caffeine in children and teens can cause increased heart rate, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anxiety, and lead to sleep problems, digestive problems and dehydration.” 

The growing consensus among credible sources appears to be that it is okay for teens to drink caffeine within moderation. In fact, Johns Hopkins Medicine found some benefits to drinking coffee specifically. These include a lower probability of developing heart failure, decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, decreased risk of strokes, and even strengthened DNA due to less breakage in DNA strands.

As caffeine grows in popularity among high school students, moderation and education remain key to staying healthy.