Survey Finds Over 70% of Freedom Students Drink Coffee

Article by Ben Lee, Journalism Student

What percent of Freedom students drink coffee? The results may be shocking. A survey conducted by the Freedom Forum found that over 70% of polled Freedom students drink coffee. Furthermore, a few students have reported that they drink at least one to two cups of coffee a day. One of our own Freedom Forum writers, Jada Carter, shares her own experience saying, “I find a way to drink coffee everyday.”
While we can all enjoy some Dunkin’, this may have some serious unsuspecting health consequences. According to the website Medical News Today, “More than 500-600 mg a day… can cause side effects, such as nervousness, anxiety, jitteriness, sleep problems, gastrointestinal disturbances, tremors, increased heart rate and even death.” The article goes on to say, “Even moderate doses of 100-400 mg can cause symptoms in children and adolescents.” Even with these alarming discoveries, teenagers are rapidly becoming the highest percentage of coffee drinkers in the United States, even above adults. Approximately 83% of young people drink beverages containing caffeine on a daily basis along with 96% drinking caffeinated beverages irregularly. The website Insider says, “caffeine can lead to an increase in dopamine levels similar to addictive drugs like cocaine.” 
One student said, “I enjoy coffee a lot, but tend to stay away from it because too much of it is unhealthy and depending on how much sugar is added will not be ideal healthwise.” Moral of the story: look out for your health, Freedom.