The dark-side of caffeine addiction

As exams and final project deadlines rapidly approach, the period of all-nighters, study sessions and overall intense levels of schoolwork has begun. As a result, student's waking hours are increasing, while hours spent sleeping are becoming more and more scarce. As per usual, many of these students are turning to caffeine as a way to help keep them awake and energetic.

Although caffeine is a stimulant and can definitely help sleep-deprived students make it through the day, many forget that caffeine is also a drug and thus needs to be used in moderation. If overused, caffeine can cause dependency and addiction like many other drugs, and can cause side-effects including nervousness, anxiety, inability to concentrate, insomnia, headaches and even heart palpitations.

Crystal Fast, a second-year Women's Studies major at Brock University, explained concerns regarding her increasing caffeine dependency, to a point where she drinks approximately 10 cups of tea per day without always having a reason to do so.

"I do feel the need to always drink it," she explained. "I don't know why […] it's something I do. Just turn on the kettle and drink tea."

Constance McDougall, former Don of Residence at Brock, stated that caffeine usage amongst her students was at a worrisome level near midterms.

"There was a lot of coffee. When you'd knock on their doors, you would see their recycling bins, [and] there would be tons of Coke cans, Red Bull and those Monster drinks," she said. "I'd also see them using a lot of those 5-hour energy shots."

Although the moderate use of caffeine itself was not a major concern for McDougall, she expressed concern regarding the overuse of caffeinated beverages, stressing the importance of treating caffeine like any other drug.

"As with anything, moderation is important," she explained. "Binge drinking caffeine isn't healthy for you […] just like binge drinking alcohol isn't. Caffeine is the most commonly used drug […] it should be treated in the same way as prescription drugs, illegal drugs or alcohol. It changes your mind set, [how] you think, just like other drugs."

McDougall presented the combination of caffeine with other substances as being of the most significant concern.

"I think that [which] concerns me the most, especially in terms of students, is the mixture of it with alcohol [...] or if [they] mix other drugs with it," McDougall said.

‘Jager-bombs', and other drinks that mix alcohol with caffeine are becoming increasingly popular among students. This is what worries her the most, mixing the two — alcohol being a depressant while caffeine a stimulant — which can cause a false sense of sobriety.

In a  study published in the American Psychological Society, researchers Cecile Marczinski and Mark Fillmore found that  college students which were given both alcohol and caffeine  felt more alert and less intoxicated. However, when tests were administered to test the accuracy hypothesized to be affected by alcohol, participants with both drugs did as poorly as those without caffeine. The students only thought they were less intoxicated while being equally poor at completing the tasks.

This effect can cause people to believe they are less drunk when mixing the two, potentially resulting in more risky behaviour like driving home under the influence or drinking to excess.

Students should exercise caution when mixing caffeine and other drugs, including over-the counter or prescription drugs, without asking their doctors first.

Ultimately, caffeine can be a useful tool to help during times when sleep is simply not an option, but students should educate themselves of the associated risks. McDougall advises students to use caffeine with moderation, and caution.