Is 5 Years Old Too Young For An Addiction?

Most working adults will tell you that if they start their day without coffee, it will inevitably be tiresome, slow, and less productive as a morning with Folgers in their cup. Now, what if someone told you that a five year old was having that same reaction? Could someone that young be addicted to caffeine? Recent studies are showing that children are becoming addicted to caffeine as young as five, not because of coffee, but because of everything that comes cold and thirst quenching.  And, the frequency in which they consume these beverages adds to the problem.  Here are just a few things children are drinking that have their caffeine adrenalin soaring through their little young bodies:

• ·         Arizona Green Tea Energy ® 200 mg equivalent to 4 Cokes
• ·         Orange Soda ® Filled with acid & one 12 ounce contains 41 mg of caffeine
• ·         Mountain Dew ® Has 55 mg of caffeine
• ·         Pepsi ® Contains 38 mg of caffeine/ 54 mg for Pepsi ONE

With the average suggested caffeine intake at fewer than 200 mg per day, most people surpass this number based on the size of their cup. If you think that switching your soda with a diet version will make it better, THINK AGAIN! When companies remove sugar, they add more substitute sweeteners, therefore, enhancing the amount of caffeine. With sodas, sports drinks, teas, and energy boosters present in many homes across America, children have more accessibility to this “drug” than ever before (if it can cause an addiction, yes, it is a drug).

            Are you now wondering what the caffeine is really doing to these young bodies? Caffeine is a stimulant. It is used to boost endorphins within the body for a short amount of time by speeding up the heart rate and releasing energy. The problem with caffeine is that, when the heart rate is increased and then drops, it weakens the heart. Just think, a child’s heart is far less developed than that of an adult; therefore, their heart is being damaged before it reaches its full potential. Enhanced heart rates can lead to heart attack or stroke. When the body is on caffeine, it makes it harder to sleep. In children, since their body does not absorb caffeine as quickly as an adult, it stays in their system longer and makes it harder for them to go to sleep, disrupting their sleep pattern.

            In recent news, a Maryland family has filed a lawsuit against Monster, an energy drink company, after their 14 year old daughter drank two cans in a 24hr period and went into cardiac arrest. This is just one of five cases being investigated throughout the country in which young people have suffered extreme heart conditions after drinking these energy boosters.

            With stories such as these in the news, parents are pushing for energy drinks and soft drink companies to place disclaimers on their products, warning of caffeine amounts and possible dangers. Should companies place a disclaimer on these products, or should parents take away the caffeinated drinks and hand over a bottle of water? What is your child having with their dinner tonight?

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/childrens-health/articles/2010/12/16/kids-are-getting-amped-on-caffeine-even-at-age-5

Is It Worth Your Life

As the Public Service Announcement broadcasted, millions of viewers watched a grieving sister who held up a sign saying, “R U...” That was the last text message she sent to her younger sister, Ashley.  Instead of waiting until she arrived at her destination safely, Ashley made a choice to read the incoming message while driving. At the “R U…”, Ashley’s car ran off the road.  She was killed upon impact.

Tragedies, such as Ashley’s, prompted AT&T to launch a national Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign titled, It Can Wait as a pledge to save lives.  Found on online, or posted on social networking pages, this oath can be taken as a commitment  not to text, talk or focus on the phone while driving.

According to AT&T, people who text while driving, are 23 times more likely to be involved in, or cause a crash.  Michael Headen, a business management major at Holy Family University, felt the effects of texting while driving.  He was run off the road by a young driver on the phone who ran through a red light.  “I refuse to text and drive because I know that no text message or phone call is worth my life. Knowing that I could injure myself, or end someone else’s life, just because of a message, would make it hard for me to look at myself in the mirror,” said Headen, who advocates against texting while driving.  “Summer months, due to the absence of school days and newly vacationing families, are the most dangerous months of the year,” a quote stated on the AT&T website. Some states have now banned texting and talking while driving with laws.  In NJ the laws fall under the same category as drunk driving.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Administration, 10 states banned talking while driving, and 39 states banned texting while driving.  Neglecting these laws will result in a fine. “Although I know it’s wrong, we are so consumed with our everyday life that we feel as if we don’t access to our cell phones while driving, we’re missing something,” said Immaculata University senior Allison Zbrowski. Zbrowski admitted that, while the possibility of an accident does scare her, putting down the phone is difficult because cell phones serve multiple functions.

Cell phone companies have made putting the phone down an oxymoron.  Phones are now "smart" and used not only for communicating but also to find a direction to a destination or to get the latest sports scores or to play a game with a friend 1000 miles away.  AT&T launched an experiment using simulated texting drivers.  Drivers were asked to respond to a flashing light while texting.  A majority of the participants never noticed the flashing light because they were consumed by texting.  “When I text and drive, I notice what’s right in front of me. Anything else is usually out of my view,” said Brittney Wilson, a senior psychology student from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  Texting and driving is familiar to Wilson, who admitted she caused a fender bender while on her phone a year ago.

“In 2010, texting while driving increased 50 percent in one year, and two out of 10 drivers say they've sent text messages or emails while behind the wheel, despite a rush by states to ban the practice,” noted in a statement released by AT&T at the beginning of their campaign.  By the end of 2012, AT&T will have been to more than 200 cities convincing drivers, especially young drivers, It Can Wait.  AT&T’s campaign is determined to reach everyone in their outreach.  Aside from touring, they have released multiple PSA showing the effects of texting while driving. All of these tragedies could have been prevented by doing one thing.  Take the pledge and put the phone down. IT CAN WAIT!
Written by Porsha Haynes, Senior, Holy Family University