Colonie Students Show Large Caffeine Consumption Despite Health Risk

By Hailey Lotz

April 5, 2022

In the halls of Colonie Central High School, many students carry energy drinks and coffee necessary to make it through the day. A survey sent to Line N’ Cue, the high school’s drama club, shows high caffeine consumption amongst the majority of members.

Out of the 35 students surveyed, 51.4% drink energy drinks, the most popular being Monster, while 42.9% drink coffee. In total, only 31.4% do not consume any caffeinated beverages.

Approximately 8.6% of those polled drink two or more energy drinks per day, and 11.5% drink more than one cup of coffee daily.

The Cleveland Health Clinic states that teens should not have more than 100mg of caffeine per day, equivalent to about one 8-ounce cup of coffee or two cans of soda and less than one 16 oz can of Monster, containing approximately 160 mg of caffeine.

According to the NCCIH, a government health agency, “Large amounts of caffeine may cause serious heart and blood vessel problems such as heart rhythm disturbances and increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Caffeine also may harm children’s still-developing cardiovascular and nervous systems.”

One anonymous student, an avid Monster drinker for the majority of junior year, said she had to stop consuming caffeine because “It makes my brain work way too fast but also not at all.”

Interviews with students show that many users of energy drinks know the potential harm they can inflict on their health, but they choose to drink them anyway out of necessity. As one student put it, “I know there are risks involved, but I feel like I have to keep drinking them because there’s no other way for me to finish everything I need to get done.”

The majority of those polled, at 65.7%, said that they drink caffeinated beverages because they just like the taste of them. Additionally, 60% of respondents indicated that they consume caffeine to have energy for after-school events. 48.6% of pollees cited that they drink caffeine to help wake up in the morning and stay awake during the school day, and only 8.6% said they do it to help stay up late for social activities, video games, and tv.

More students drink caffeinated beverages throughout the day than those who consume caffeine just in the morning or night.

All students interviewed cited schoolwork and after-school activities as the motivation behind their caffeine intake. An anonymous student said that she drinks caffeine, often Monster energy drinks or tea, because, “I have so much homework, no lunch or study hall during the day, and then hours of extracurriculars every night. It helps me have enough energy to get through everything efficiently.”

Another student explained, “When I have a lot of homework and I save some to do early in the morning, I need caffeine to keep me awake and get me through the school day.”