News Reporter
Following John Ford’s speech concerning alcohol use on campus, the Choate student body has become acutely aware of the intake of many different kinds of drugs. One drug earning such attention from many members of the Choate community is caffeine.
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system to reduce fatigue and restore alertness. It works at the higher levels of the central nervous system resulting in increased awareness and wakefulness, faster and clearer flow of thought, increased focus, and better coordination. As with most drugs, specific amounts of caffeine will affect people of different size and of different caffeine tolerances in various ways. However, it generally takes less than an hour for caffeine to start taking effect and at least three hours for it to wear off, depending on consumption. Although caffeine seems like the perfect solution to the seemingly endless demands of at Choate, it does not eliminate the need for sleep; caffeine merely reduces the sensation of being tired.
The amount caffeine consumed daily is astounding; there is a constant flow of Armark workers refilling the hot chocolate machine in the dining hall. Whether the source is a cup of coffee, a can of Red Bull, or even a bottle of Diet Coke, Choate students all are surviving each day only with that added buzz. Carolyn Siegel ’07 said, “I have four to five sodas every day, and at least one grande Starbucks mug full of coffee. It’s really like four cups of coffee because that’s how many the machine in my room makes.”
Even teachers can’t resist the boost. “I start my day with it,” HPRSS teacher Mrs. Amy Foster says of her cup of coffee, continuing, “It’s my friend in the morning.” As well as just a morning pick-me-up, caffeine is also used late at night when students are up past lights out because study hours just were not long enough to complete their homework.
Choate students get their shot of caffeine from a variety of sources, ranging from Diet Coke to coffee to Red Bull. There are 80 milligrams of caffeine in a 5 ounce cup of American coffee. A can of Red Bull has only slightly less than that. A twelve ounce can of Coke has 40 milligrams of caffeine. Coffee is one of the most traded commodities in the world (as measured by monetary value), second only to crude oil and its byproducts. Although American society promotes Red Bull to all ages, boasting that “it gives you wings,” some British supermarkets only sell Red Bull to people over the age sixteen. Additionally, those under the age of eighteen in Finland can only buy one Red Bull at a time.
These foreign countries know that despite its benefits, caffeine has severe consequences when taken in excessive doses. Any dose of caffeine greater than that found in three cups of coffee (250 mg caffeine) is considered an overdose and can cause overstimulation, called caffeine intoxication.
In addition to overdosing, caffeine becomes less effective for those who regularly consume the stimulant. These people become dependent on caffeine as a supply of adenosine, an essential neurotransmitter, for the central nervous system. Extended periods of dependency can lead to “caffeinism,” which can lead to mental and physical disorders, including irritability, anxiety, hyperreflexia (muscle twitching), insomnia, heart palpitations, peptic ulcers, erosive esophagus, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Because of the negative effects of caffeine, some Choate community members decide to avoid this stimulant. English teacher Doug James said, “For about twenty-five or thirty years, I had a cup of tea with sugar and honey every morning. I didn’t think I could get through the day without it. Then about two years ago I just stopped, and it didn’t make one iota of difference.” Now, James suggests drinking water: “If you can’t stay awake by drinking water, you should just go to sleep.”
