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Caffeine Now the Drug of Choice for Many Teens
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| Wednesday, January 17th, 2007 | Kristen DiPaolo | CWK Producer |
“When I drink too much caffeine my heart flutters and it goes really fast, and I get really dizzy and light-headed - and I feel like I’m going to pass out or throw up.”
– Alicia Bleavins, 17 years old
17-year-old Byron Crowe has a stack of 430 empty cups. He slams down around two large, caffeine-loaded energy drinks every day.
“It hits my brain in about 11 seconds,” he says. “I’ve timed it.”
19-year-old Pam Shelton has ten caffeinated drinks a day.
“I probably have three cups of coffee,” she explains, “and the rest, soda.”
Energy drinks, coffee, even caffeine pills.
According to new research from Northwestern University, abuse of caffeine pills is a growing problem among teens.
Occasionally, kids will land in the emergency room - thinking they’re about to have a heart attack.
“Typically this would be a kid who’s in some sort of a stressful situation like finals,” explains Dr. Stephen Roy Pitts, an emergency room physician at Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta, “and on top of that anxiety will have not slept much, and will have drunk a lot of coffee or energy drinks and will develop palpitations - meaning an abnormal heartbeat where they can feel their own heart beating.”
While doctors say drinking coffee or tea is a relatively safe habit, too much caffeine can cause nausea, chest pain or panic attacks.
“When I drink too much caffeine my heart flutters and it goes really fast,” says 17-year-old Alicia Bleavins, “and I get really dizzy and light-headed - and I feel like I’m going to pass out or throw up.”
Doctors say some kids should avoid caffeine altogether.
“Caffeine is a horrible idea in kids who already suffer from anxiety that’s been identified by some other person,” says Dr. Pitts. “I would strongly discourage kids with anxiety problems to ever drink any caffeine.”
Pam knows she should cut back on coffee - but so far, hasn’t made the effort.
“Everybody tells me I shouldn’t drink as much as I do,” she admits, “but it tastes good.”
What We Need To Know
- Young people may abuse caffeine pills more often than parents think. In a recent study, Northwestern University researchers examined calls that came into the Illinois Poison Center in Chicago, over a three-year period. During that time, there were more than 250 cases of medical complications from ingesting caffeine supplements. 12% of the cases required hospitalization. The average age of the people who abused caffeine was 21. (American College of Emergency Physicians)
- Kids should know that caffeine is a drug, not a food product. There is a trend in the drug culture to turn towards legal alternatives to illegal drugs. Explain that caffeine pills can lead to insomnia, palpitations, tremors, sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chest pains and neurological symptoms. (Dr. Danielle McCarthy, Northwestern University)
- Drinking coffee and tea is a relatively safe habit. However, it has no nutritional benefit. (Dr. Stephen Pitts, M.D., Emergency Medicine, Emory Crawford Long Hospital)
Resources
- Northwestern University
- Annals of Emergency Medicine
- American College of Emergency Physicians
- Emory Crawford Long Hospital
