Sophomores in Mrs. Dameron-Vines’s English 10 class worked throughout the month of March on a unit to craft Opinion Editorials, articles that explore an author’s opinion on a chosen topic of interest. We are happy to provide a platform for an on-going series that highlights some of students’ work.
Before the first period begins at Homewood High School, when students linger in the library or walk through the halls, it doesn’t take long to notice all of the energy drink cans almost every student is holding: Celsius, Alani, Redbull, Monster, and others.
These energy drink brands, specifically Celsius and Alani, contain high amounts of caffeine in them. Most Celsius/Alani drinks contain 200 mg of caffeine, but the Celsius “Essentials” contains 270 mg of caffeine. For adults, the healthy limit for caffeine intake is 400 mg per day. However, for adolescents, the healthy limit is 100 mg according to The American Academy of Pediatrics. The most popular energy drink brands for teens could be damaging their health long-term. Nevertheless, most students who drink them already know these risks. Personally, I know the negative effects that caffeine can have on young people, such as insomnia, anxiety, and high blood pressure. Still, I usually have at least one Alani per week.
This leads one to wonder, why do students continue to drink dangerously caffeinated drinks in spite of all of the risks involved? Are the students of Homewood just not aware enough of their dangers? Or are there deeper stressors in students’ lives that cause them to depend on these energy drinks just to get through the school day?
My friend, Lucy Murphree, is no stranger to energy drinks, even once needing parental intervention. She recalls, “When my parents banned me from energy drinks, I tried to switch over to coffee, but because it didn’t have the same amount of caffeine, it didn’t give the same amount of satisfaction.” Nowadays, Lucy drinks an energy drink 2-3 times a week, and if she’s not having an energy drink, she’s drinking coffee.
Although I once found her amount of energy drink consumption unnecessary, I now realize that when looking at her whole life, it makes sense that she would be tired every day. Lucy is captain of the JV volleyball team at Homewood, participates in Show Choir, is an active member of her church, and takes AP and Honors classes. With a packed schedule, it can be easy for anyone to become reliant on energy drinks.
Similarly, earlier this school year, I had felt the most exhausted and overwhelmed I had ever been in my entire life. Unsurprisingly, this was also the time in my life when I was the most dependent on energy drinks. I was participating in Show Choir, marching band, theater, playing violin, and taking two Honors classes along with my first AP course.
I was happy doing all of these activities, but they made it more difficult to keep a consistent sleep schedule. It was starting to become hard for me to keep up the energy for these activities, so I was drinking a Celsius or Alani almost daily. These drinks worsened my anxiety throughout the day and only made it harder to fall asleep at night.
Since then, I have learned to balance my schedule more. I took a break from violin, and I decided to not participate in the spring musical at my theater. This allowed me to not only put more energy into my academics and other extracurriculars, but it gave me the opportunity to get more sleep. I have not fully cut out energy drinks from my life, but I choose to drink them less often and choose brands with less caffeine per drink.
Many students at Homewood can relate to feeling overwhelmed by academics and extracurricular activities since it is a high-achieving community of students. While it is important to become well-rounded and have many experiences and opportunities, it is also important for students to put their health first.
Instead of condemning students for high consumption of energy drinks, students should be encouraged to find balance in their lives and prioritize getting rest. By addressing this issue, students will feel less compelled to reach for energy drinks daily, and an overall healthier community will be built.
