As nicotine has recently become a substance of choice for many teens, I thought it would be important to learn about what the actual risks of nicotine are. In a post by the CDC “Why is Nicotine Unsafe for Kids, … Continue reading Substances: Nicotine and Teens
So…coffee. The drink most people say starts their day off right. Most people drink regular, caffeinated coffee – the primary reason being that it elevates their mood and energy in the mornings. But for some of us, it’s against medical … Continue reading Substances: Decaf Coffee and Teens
Hey! Welcome to the next entry…let’s talk about teens and caffeinated drinks. Now, I feel like a lot of us wouldn’t think of caffeine as a traditional substance, because it isn’t thought of as something that usually harms people. But recently, I learned in Driver’s Ed that caffeine is a stimulant, so it can raise your blood pressure/epinephrine level and make you feel lightheaded or dizzy (which can be harmful while driving). But I was curious to learn whether there are any, possibly more harmful side effects to drinking caffeine (for both adults and teens)…and it turns out that unfortunately, … Continue reading Substances: Caffeine and Teens
Hello again! I’ll be continuing my substances series here by talking about the effects of alcohol on teens. Here’s the TED Ed video I watched to get a quick intro into the topic: Now, the CDC says that underage drinking is a serious health problem in the US – where overdrinking is responsible for 3,500+ deaths in people under 21 per year. In 2013, there were about 119,000 visits to the emergency room made by people ages 12 – 21 for conditions linked to alcohol consumption. In the US, Alcohol is the most commonly used substance in minors. Historically, underage … Continue reading Substances: Alcohol and Teens
Happy Thursday! I’m starting a new series called Substances. In this series, I plan to tackle all different types of substances, specifically targeting their effects on teens. As a teenager myself, I think educating myself about all of the substances out there is definitely important – and my hope is that for all of the readers out there, these short blog posts will help them learn a little more about substances too. The video linked above will give you a brief overview of possible side effects of marijuana in teenagers. For more information, this article by the CDC goes more … Continue reading Substances: Marijuana and Teens
History/Philosophy of Science with Gabi 