The Coral Glades cafeteria has added an interesting yet controversial item to the daily menu, Coffee. The cafeteria is serving salted caramel and French vanilla cold brew coffees. These cold brews are $3.50 without getting a meal and $3.00 with a meal, and students can pay either cash or through their student account.
Whether coffee is good for high school students has been an ongoing debate. Many students start drinking coffee because they like the taste, but they continue to drink it because they become addicted. Caffeine is a stimulant that blocks receptors in the brain, increasing dopamine levels. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter made in the brain, also known as the “feel-good” hormone due to its impact on the brain’s reward system.
Senior Gabriela Rios says “I think it’s pretty good, it’s a little bitter but it actually helps me wake up” Drinking coffee makes people feel more awake and motivated to complete tasks throughout the day, however, there are harms to coffee. Coffee can cause sleep disruption, which causes more serious illnesses. Overconsumption of coffee can be linked to depression and bipolar disorder. Studies have shown that caffeine consumption reduces total sleep time by 45 minutes. Adequate sleep is crucial, especially for high school students looking to succeed the next morning at school.
That leaves us questioning, is serving coffee to high school students a good idea? Considering caffeine’s effects on health and brain development, I do not believe the school should have introduced this beverage. Students should be encouraged by the school to pursue a healthy eating habit that gives them energy without any chance of harm to their health, and not to drink addictive stimulants that could make them more tired.
Some of our Prowl staff members taste-tested the French vanilla cold brew, and each had similar comments, it tastes more like sugar and creamer than coffee. This is ironic as the school vending machines only have zero-sugar beverages. Even if there is less caffeine in the cold brews than sugar, the health concerns are the same if not worse. The list of problems linked to sugar is of considerable length, and students who may not have the healthiest eating habits will not gain anything beneficial from this.
Although this new option may not be the healthiest for students, it has been a hit in the cafeteria! Many students can be seen enjoying this drink in the morning, before class, or during any of the three lunches. Senior Valeria Rojas says “I think that it’s pretty good and is something new and fresh it taste so good” When we tasted the coffee, it had a good flavor and wasn’t bitter, so if you are not a coffee lover but like sweet drinks, the school cold brew might be your cup of tea, or in this case, coffee!
