According to PubMed Central, about 80% of the world’s population consumes caffeine every day. Caffeine is by far the world’s most used stimulant, with Adderall coming in second. However, Adderall doesn’t even come close to the consumption levels of caffeine. This is a very serious problem simply because of the side effects that occur from caffeine. 

Caffeine can lead to long-term health problems such as anxiety, dizziness, fatigue, rapid heart rate, digestive issues, headaches, dehydration, high blood pressure, and even seizures.

I’m sure we can all think of at least one person who simply needs caffeine to function. And without it, their entire mood changes and they turn into a completely different person. Patrick Stewart, grade 11 here at Pentucket, is one of these individuals.

Here’s what he had to say: “I cannot even function at all without a caffeinated beverage in my system. Without caffeine, or some sort of stimulant, I feel extremely tired and unfocused. My mood changes to very angry, sluggish, and unmotivated, and I get a bad headache. And my body is never able to fully wake up without it unless I do some sort of exercise.”      

These are the kinds of things that happen when somebody is seriously addicted. This just shows firsthand exactly how a caffeine addiction can affect the human mind. 

Theoretically, if someone like Stewart were to simply make sure that they consume caffeine every single day, then they would never really feel the side effects that Stewart undergoes. However, that is not always a realistic solution. For example, Stewart also goes on to say, “Sometimes when I don’t have money to buy a coffee or an energy drink, I am forced to go the entire day without focusing at all. This also happens if I sleep in, and don’t have time to go out and get a coffee before school.”

We all know things happen, and one’s plans may not always play out the way that they want them to. Oftentimes people sleep past their alarms, run into traffic in the morning, or even forget to set their alarms altogether. When things like this happen, people with a caffeine addiction may not have enough time to make a stop and buy a caffeinated beverage. 

In conclusion, caffeine leads to more problems than solutions. It is better to only consume caffeine at most once or twice a week. However, it is better to stay away from it altogether, that way one can avoid all complications. If it ever gets to a point where taking caffeine every day is necessary, that will eventually lead to more harm than good. That is why it is better to stay away from consuming caffeine altogether, or at least limit it.