Substances: Caffeine 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

Substances: Alcohol 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