Teen Coffee Consumption Causes Concern

Coffee was always considered an adult drink.

But, reports Susan McGinnis, the ranks of coffee drinkers are trending much younger, as more and more teens enjoy cups of java every day, many with the full consent of their parents.

And that's causing dieticians to sit up and take notice.

Stop by Caribou Coffee in Springfield, Va. on a weekday afternoon, McGinnis observes, and there they are, chatting, studying, or socializing, but all are drinking some form of coffee.

One ordered a small americano with sugar free caramel, another a three-shot white mocha.

With more than 300 million cups of coffee consumed a day, this is one caffeinated nation, McGinnis noted, and increasingly, teens are getting into that act.

The number of kids coming to the Springfield shop has doubled in the past three years.

Coffee chains have become the place to see, and be seen, but can turn into something more.

"It (coffee) just keeps me going," one teen said. "It wakes me up," said another. "Yeah," said a third, "it wakes us up, keeps us energized."

Teens are drinking it up. Some high schools even serving it to students.

Inside Northwest High in Justin, Texas, "Java City" is doling out the joe to pupils.

Says Principal Jim Chadwell, "Coffee shops have become … very popular for adults and children alike. …We decided to create something here where they would choose to come to and enjoy."

But, health experts fear, some might enjoy it too much.

One teen in Caribou Coffee admitted she's "probably" addicted to coffee."That addiction," says nutritionist and registered dietician Elisa Zied, "can occur after consuming it day in and day out, and with kids frequenting coffee bars and hanging out there with their friends, it's no wonder kids are getting addicted to caffeine."

Zied, who wrote, "So What Can I Eat" and is a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, says too much caffeine can cause nervousness, insomnia, high blood pressure and more, especially in young people with lower body weights.

Even so, says McGinnis, many parents give their blessings to teens drinking coffee.

"There are no official recommendations for caffeine for teens and other children," Zied says, "but I would say up to 200 milligrams per day is probably not going to harm them."

That, McGinnis points out, is about the amount you'll find in a medium cup of gourmet coffee, but many teens don't stop at one.

"My system can't, you know, live off of one shot, so it's two shots, now it's three," a teen at Caribou told McGinnis.

Health experts say caffeine isn't the only worry: Teens are also overdoing sugar and fat in coffee itself and "trimmings."