The most commonly used drug in America is caffeine. It is found in cocoa, tea, coffee, soft drinks and, in the so called 'energy' drinks. Children and teenagers often use this drug as a substitute for sleep and staying more alert in school. They use these drinks to get going in the morning, to avoid the afternoon slump, and to stay awake at night. Caffeine is not a substitute for sleep and sleep deprivation does not help someone perform better after pulling an all nighter. Another concern is the fact that teens tend to use caffeine with alcohol to get a quick buzz. They tend to think that they are not impaired because they have are not sleepy. Caffeinated drinks like Mountain Dew and the energy drinks like Red Bull seem to be favorites of high school and college students. Caffeine and the other ingredients in the energy drinks are heart stimulants and do not overcome the effects of alcohol. This is another reason to be concerned about the amount and use of caffeine by your child/teen. Some athletes believe that these energy drinks give them more stamina. Actually, it can be harmful in that the amount of physical activity plus the heat generated by perfoming in clothing that tends to hold body heat provides stress on the human body. This can be extremely tragic if an undiagnosed heart defect or aneurysm is present. The higher the doses of caffeine, the higher the stress on the human body. In addition, caffeine may cause dehydration because it is a dieuretic. This is a potentially dangerous case because the energy drinks are not formulated to rehydrate the body. The use of stimulants for children with attention deficits and hyperactivity is different from the use of these same drugs attained on the streets by your child/teen who is using them to stay awake to play video games at night or awake during the day. They don't realize the dangers of sleep deprivation and the fact that the repeated use of stimulants can reduce the body's ability to fall asleep naturally. In addition, the high caffeine drinks contain sugarand acids are that are devastating to dental health. Over the counter drugs for diet loss may increase metabolism in the fattycells but does not suppress one's appetite. Caffeine tablets such as Vivarin, Anacin and Midol designed to keep people awake for hours after they are taken and leads to sleep deprivation. There are also caffeine candies and syrups. As parents, you need to be aware that your child is likely receiving caffeine from multiple sources throughout the day. Parents should be aware of how much caffeine your child is ingesting. You need to try to moderate caffeine intact and, if your child NEEDS these to begin or get through the day, you need to begin weaning them off of the caffeinated drinks. The alternative to going 'cold turkey' is to 'caffeine fade' by gradually reducingcaffeine intake. This alternative helps reduce the withdrawal headaches,irritability, jitters, etc. One of the most important things a parents can do is to model the behavior you want from your child/teen. Do you need a doubleshot expresso to get started in the morning? Being proactive in investigatingwhat drinks are available in your child's school vending machines and cafeteria are also important steps parents can take to help ensure that their children are truly eating and drinking in a healthy way. |
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