Caffeine, the world's most frequently used mood-altering drug, is consumed habitually by 80 to 90 percent of people in North America, according to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit. This socially acceptable psychoactive substance is abundant not only in coffee, tea and cola drinks, but in 70 percent of sodas, including lemon-lime, root beer, cream and orange sodas. Caffeine contributes significantly to the effects of energy drinks, which are very popular with adolescents. Because caffeine use among teens is increasing as of 2010, more attention is being paid to the negative effects on adolescent physiology and behavior.
Dependence and Addiction
Adolescents can suffer from caffeine dependence, which can cause a cluster of behavioral, physiological and cognitive symptoms. Johns Hopkins report on "Information about Caffeine Dependence" explains that the most commonly reported symptom of substance dependence, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition -- DSM-IV -- is "persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use" despite symptoms.
Intoxication
Caffeine intoxication can cause significant distress as evidenced by a number of symptoms and clinical features experienced by adults as well as adolescents in response to caffeine use. According to the 2005 article "Neuropsychiatric Effects of Caffeine" published in Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, the Criteria for Substance Intoxication in the DSM-IV Text Revision lists the signs of caffeine intoxication as anxiety, restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, rambling speech, gastrointestinal upset, tremors, fever, irritability, sensory disturbances, tachycardia, headaches, muscle twitching, inexhaustibility and psychomotor agitation.
Sleep
Caffeine can cause sleep disturbance and alter the normal sleep patterns necessary for adolescents. In Courtney Humphries 2010 Boston Globe article "Does caffeine really stunt adolescents' growth?" Dr. Laurie Cohen, director of the neuroendocrinology program at Children's Hospital Boston, says caffeine's effect on sleep could influence a teen's development, because growth hormones are secreted during sleep, and hormone activity may be impaired by sleep deprivation.
Cohen discusses evidence that poor quality sleep can be connected with weight problems. Soda, a major caffeine source for teens, contributes to childhood obesity.
Energy drink consumption by teens is linked to serious health issues, including obesity. The Federal Drug Administration regulates caffeine in soda but not in energy drinks, some of which contain 200 mg or more, twice as much as a cup of coffee. Some young people abuse these energy drinks by drinking more than one at a time, mixing them with alcohol or consuming them when active and perspiring. The result of misuse or even just use of these highly caffeinated energy drinks may be dehydration, sleep disturbance, headaches and decreased concentration and overall function.
School
Adolescents who drink caffeinated beverages are often up late at night. Some are doing homework, but according to a 2009 study published in Pediatrics by Dr. Christina Calamaro, assistant professor at Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions, more teens are web surfing, text messaging and playing games. The more multitasking teens do at night, the more likely they will fall asleep at school. More than 30 percent of adolescents say they fall asleep at school, and consuming caffeine was 76 percent higher among those who fell asleep during class.
Getting enough sleep is essential for school performance and general health. Dr. Calamaro found that adolescents reporting high caffeine consumption had trouble sleeping and were also likely to feel tired in the morning.
References
- Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center: Information about Caffeine Dependence
- Advances in Psychiatric Treatment: Neuropsychiatric effects of caffeine
- Boston.com: Does caffeine really stunt adolescents' growth?
- Pediatrics: Adolescents Living the 24/7 Lifestyle: Effects of Caffeine and Technology on Sleep Duration and Daytime Functioning
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