Get That Buzz Are Teens Drinking Too Much Caffeine?

Staci Grunden started drinking coffee when she was in the fifth grade because her mom did. Now, she drinks a couple of cups every morning, and usually takes some with her to school.

But the North Central sophomore says she’s not hooked.

“I’m not really addicted to coffee,” she insists, “but I just kind of get up, go through the motions, make the coffee and drink it.”

It’s habit - for lots of area teens. With coffee shops popping up on every street corner and soda remaining one of the United States’ preferred drink of choice, many teens are consuming large amounts of a substance called caffeine.

Recently, I noticed myself drinking more and more coffee and I began to wonder, “What exactly is the deal with caffeine?”

I think most people, myself included, don’t realize how much caffeine they’re getting in a day because they’re usually having too much fun with friends when they consume it.

It made me worry. So I went to the library to see if I was in danger of overdosing, and what would happen to me if I did.

I had heard rumors that if you drank or ate (yes, caffeine is even in chocolate) too much caffeine it would stunt your growth. Well the Federal Department of Agriculture says that if the consumption of caffeine is kept to a moderate level, it has no effect on growth.

According to Group Health Northwest, as long as the daily intake is kept beneath 200 milligrams a day (the amount of about 10 ounces of coffee or three to five cans of pop), you’ll be fine.

“I drink a Frappuccino about very other day,” says Shadle Park freshman Anastasia Shyvers, “and I’ve noticed that when I do drink them, I can’t get to sleep at night.”

“I drink lattes every day before school,” admits Ayshea Chapman, a senior at University. “On the days that I don’t have one, I feel drowsy in my first period class.”

Many of you have probably experienced some of the same feelings without knowing the reason. Caffeine is a mild stimulant. When a person exceeds a moderate amount regularly, they may - depending on how sensitive their body is - experience some common yet unpleasant side effects, including insomnia, irritability, nervousness, uneven heartbeat and digestive problems.

Because of these side effects, caffeine usually makes people with emotional problems feel worse, not better.

What if a person usually consumes more than 200 mgs of caffeine? Is he or she addicted? Once again, it depends on how sensitive a person’s body is.

But even if you are addicted to caffeine, it’s not a hard habit to kick.

If you think you already have an addiction and try to cut down your intake too quickly, you may have mild headaches and a feeling of irritability. This can be avoided by cutting your consumption by half a cup per day. It’s called caffeine fading.

Despite the popularity of corner coffee shops, coffee is still consumed by more adults. Most teens get their fair share of caffeine from pop and tea, saying coffee - or specifically, espresso and lattes - is too expensive.

On average, a can of pop has half as much caffeine as a cup of coffee - but how difficult is it to drink more than one can of pop in a day?

Some parents may cringe when they see their kids downing a cappuccino, but caffeine has no more of an effect on their children than it does on them.

Actually, studies conducted by the FDA show that caffeine is excreted from a younger person’s body twice as fast than in an adult’s.

Now that I’ve done some research, I’ve decided I’ll continue to drink coffee in the morning along with other caffeinated beverages occasionally, because if consumed in moderation, they will not do the body any harm.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Kicking the habit Worried that you might be drinking too much caffeine? We found 10 tips on the Internet for breaking the habit. 1. Keep a log for a week of where, when, how much and with whom you are consuming coffee, tea or soda. 2. Reduce your consumption slowly, by one cup (or can) a day. 3. If you’re a coffee drinker, gradually switch from regular to decaffeinated coffee by mixing them before brewing. Mix in a higher portion of decaf grounds each day. 4. Drink from smaller cups instead of large mugs or glasses. 5. Drink your coffee or tea with more milk to reduce its potency. 6. Try decaffeinated tea. Alternate caffeine-free sodas with caffeinated ones. 7. Try Postum, a grain-based coffee substitute. 8. Remove all temptation: get rid of favorite mugs, or stop walking by your favorite coffee shop. 9. Drink lots of caffeine-free liquids while you’re quitting, like water, herbal tea or clear pop. 10. When you feel yourself getting sleepy, take a break, open a window, breathe deeply and stretch, jog in place, go for a walk, get a cold drink or take a nap (not in class!).