With a coffee in hand, students walk to school as they consume their daily fuel. This common practice of many high school students is an unhealthy and addictive one that should decrease for the benefit of many.

“I drink a lot of coffee throughout the day,” freshman Natalie Miller said. “The caffeine helps me pull all-nighters, which I have to do often due to the overload of school work.”

The teenage years are the years where habits are formed and the body is growing, and caffeine is not beneficial for either. The more that students start depending on caffeinated beverages to keep them awake and focused, the more likely it is they will get addicted.

Since caffeine causes a minor physical reliance, parting from the usual consumption could be tiring and stressful. Caffeine also isn’t good for future health, possibly causing heart problems and anxiety disorders. Decreasing the amount of caffeine one ingests a day could lower the chance of subsequent issues.

Though the reason for caffeine intake could be related to the stress and overload of school work, it shouldn’t be a student’s first option. There are so many alternative activities that keep one alert and active, which are useful during all-nighters and other tiring school activities. There are a lot of different breathing techniques, stretches, and quick exercises that will re-energize students quickly and healthily.

Learning how to balance school and sleep is a challenge, but once it is mastered, there would be no reason to consume the amount of caffeine that students do on a daily basis.