Many high school students run on caffeine. I mean, in order to finish that project that you waited until the last minute to do, a cup of coffee is necessary, right? But this does not replace a good night’s worth of sleep, does it? However, countless students rely too heavily on caffeine. This is why coffee should be banned for teens.

South Korea banned coffee from every school because some students suffered heart palpitations after drinking coffee, and “authorities cited dizziness, increased heartbeat, sleep disorders and nervousness as other symptoms,” The Guardian said.

That’s not all. There are many other health risks that come with drinking coffee.

Now, you might be thinking that it does not  matter, that it is more important to finish the homework you procrastinated on rather than getting some sleep. But, you are wrong. Europepmc.org said that caffeine in a person’s system at bedtime can mimic the symptoms of insomnia, such as trouble sleeping, irritability, daytime fatigue, depression or lack of concentration.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that after restricting sleep to five hours per night, caffeine use no longer improved alertness or performance after three nights.

The American Psychology Association conducted a study in which they discovered that caffeine increased anxiety, depression and hostility.

Caffeine has also been found to be a risk factor for chronic daily headaches by Ann I. Scher, PhD in Epidemiology; Walter F. Stewart, PhD in Epidemiology, MPH (Masters in Public Health) and BS in Psychobiology; and Richard B. Lipton,  M.D. and the Edwin S. Lowe Professor and Vice Chair of Neurology, Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

There are also symptoms of caffeine withdrawal which happens if once someone becomes addicted to it from drinking it too often. They include headaches, fatigue, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, depressed mood, irritability, tremors (feeling jittery or anxious and having shaky hands) and low energy, according to Healthline.

Caffeine has been found to be harmful, and when children are still developing, it is important for them to take care of their health. Therefore, coffee, and its many harmful effects on health, should be kept out of reach of the younger generation.

Coffee is America’s favorite and most accepted delivery system of caffeine, the drug that gives people the energy they need to go through the slog of work or for high school students, well… high school. Overall, while it does have it’s negative effects on students, coffee being banned to students would be outrageous, as it’s benefits when used correctly are great.

What I mean by used correctly is responsibly drinking coffee in a manner that helps students wake up for their early morning classes, and using it effectively during study sessions. Academic pressures on students are heavy, with schools generally starting early in the morning, when it is common knowledge amongst teens and teachers that starting from 7:30 to 8:30 in the morning is not beneficial to students. If this country’s government is willing to put the pressure on us for grades on tests, with unrealistically high expectations, then there should be certain privileges, such as coffee, given to us that would help us meet the government standards.

Banning coffee might also see the side effect of having students search for more risky ways of staying up. In a sense, getting rid of it might be a gateway to having students try alternative methods of getting up, such as Adderall, a drug for patients with ADHD that helps them focus, and instead is being used by college and high school students to study for exams and tests. Pressure to help stay awake and do the tasks necessary for school would put students that care for their future on edge, pushing them to the limits.

Some could say that the drug is more dangerous than it’s worth, citing the American Academy of Pediatrics denouncement of coffee due to its effects on neurological and cardiovascular development, with anxiety, sleep deprivation and nervousness being listed symptoms. However, this is after the use of the drug consistently in an unhealthy manner, drinking several cups a day over long periods of time. It is not indicative of the drug being used responsibly, and should not be a consideration in why it should be banned. Many students use it effectively and properly, and to take the privilege of using it would be wrong. Instead, it should be used by students cautiously, and if the government is concerned about it, it should find ways to properly train students in planning out how to weigh the responsibility school puts on students.

Coffee is an essential privilege to students so that they can live in the school system. If it were to be banned here as it was in South Korea, it would open up a can of worms on why our school system is not what it properly should be.