With drinks like Prime, C4, Bang, and Celsius hitting the top of the trending list, CHS students are falling for caffeine. These daily beverages have contributed to this unhealthy addiction. It stems from the fact that students are struggling to stay awake in school, and some are even building a tolerance to caffeine altogether.

“I remember there was a time where I was having an energy drink every single day,” freshman Susan Reid said. “It stopped working, so I stopped drinking them for a week.”

Reid’s tolerance for caffeine grew so much that it lost its touch. She needed to feel alive and awake so badly that she forced herself into an immunity. She was able to use caffeine normally once again after taking a week-long break from drinking Celsius.

“I could go a day without caffeine, but I wouldn’t be focusing as well,” senior Kye McGregor said

The reasons behind the craze for energy are different for every student, but the negative effects of energy drinks and the absurd amount of caffeine remain constant. Monster has 86 mgs of caffeine per can, Celsius has 200 mgs of caffeine per can, and a can of Bang has a whopping 300mgs.

“If you look a few years ago, it was a monster, and now it’s mostly Celsius, but I think it’s more because of the caffeine amount from monster to Celsius,” McGregor said. 

A lot of teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18 drink caffeine daily and many of those teens are drinking it for different reasons. It may have started as a quick fruity beverage or a way to get some extra energy in the morning, but it has become a way to label popularity and show off their Celsius or Monsters to their peers. 

“It gives high schoolers energy, and it could be used as a symbol of your status,” McGregor said.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescents released a report in July 2020 saying that pediatricians advise against any use of energy drinks for all children and teens, they also hope for people to limit caffeine intake to at the most 100 mg daily for those 12-18 years old.

“I worry about kids and tweens having too much energy or anxiety and not being able to work with that healthily at school, “ McGregor said