Caffeine Abuse: A Growing Addiction

Gregory Micek

Caffeine is a drug that plays a large role in the everyday life of an extremely large number of people. According to Time Magazine, the Journal of the American Diabetic Association notes that about “90% of adults ingest caffeine every day,” and National Geographic “has described caffeine as the world’s most popular psychoactive drug.” Caffeine is an extremely prevalent drug on which anyone can develop a dependency.

The role of caffeine in the college environment is such that it has become a necessity for many students. Students often use caffeine to avoid sleep, to stay awake longer, and to be more alert at night when cramming for exams or rushing late assignments. Time Magazine notes Michael Wood, a senior at Princeton University, who stated that “during reading period and finals week, caffeine becomes [his] lifeline.” Michael Wood also said that a couple of Red Bulls can make “you feel much more comfortable about leaving your semester-long research project for the last weekend before it’s due.” College students use caffeine to cram projects and assignments into all-nighters, rather than taking the necessary amount of time for a few weeks to prepare the project or assignment at a leisurely pace.

Caffeine abuse can lead to withdrawal and dependency. According to Time Magazine, “[a] 2006 study at Northwestern University found that 265 caffeine abuse cases were reported to a local U.S. regional poison control center from 2001 through 2004” and the average age was twenty-one, or an average senior in college. Caffeine withdrawal can cause individuals to feel “headache, fatigue and irritability,” and caffeine can also inhibit study by increasing anxiety rather than increasing alertness.