Pick your poison.

Between energy drinks like Reign and Bubbl’rs, or plain old coffee, many students drink some form of caffeine during the day. Out of 112 students, 43.8% consume caffeine every day, and 57.4% drink at least one caffeinated beverage per day. 

Senior Kayleigh Haan, who works at Arctic Fusion, usually consumes around 400-600 mg of caffeine a day.

“Arctic has 200 mg per mega (32 oz serving),” Haan said. “Then, Aspires are like a cup of coffee, so they are only around 80 mg. Sometimes, I have two or three of those.”

Similarly, sophomore Avery Payne, who works at Scooter’s, typically has a caffeinated beverage in hand.

“I usually have a large cup of coffee with three shots and two Bubbl’rs,” Payne said, which is around 335 mg of caffeine. “If I’m working, I have like nine shots of espresso.”

People might start consuming caffeine for a number of reasons.

Haan started consuming caffeine because of stress, homework, and lack of energy. On the other hand, Payne started because she saw a Bubbl’r machine.

“I thought it was cool,” Payne said. “I tried one, and I loved it.” 

However, having worked in the school for many years, health associate Elaine Gibbs knows the side effects of caffeine on the human body.

“It is hard on your heart, it’s hard on your thinking process, and it also dehydrates you,” Gibbs said. “When you become dehydrated, it affects your whole body system in every way.”

Both Payne and Haan have noticed the impacts of caffeine. Payne thinks her symptoms are mild, as she only has to take melatonin at night to sleep.

Alternatively, Haan states she only has symptoms when she doesn’t consume caffeine.

“I get headaches sometimes, or I feel like I just need an energy boost. Sometimes, I’ll be shaky,” Haan said. “It’s a withdrawal because it is an addiction.”