Caffeinated Drinks in Schools
With soda and sugary coffee drinks populating our culture, and many parents allowing their children to partake of such drinks regularly, it should come as no surprise that so many kids these days are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. Okay, some of those cases are actually valid, but it often seems as though parents have no idea of the effects the food and beverages they give to their children might have on their delicate systems. Lest you forget, caffeine is a stimulant, one that forces the body to produce adrenaline and cortisol, so if kids are hyped up during the day, perhaps the soda and coffee drinks are to blame. But parents aren’t alone in facilitating this ongoing problem. Schools play their part, as well, by stocking vending machines with the very caffeine that is causing students to act out in class.
There comes a time when most parents give up on trying to control what goes into their child’s mouth. Kids are going to develop their own preferences and even if you pack a lunch with healthy foods that they like, they’re going to trade with their friends for items they can’t get at home (which other, less discerning parents allow their kids to consume). And while most parents try to hold off on providing caffeinated beverages at least until their kids are in middle school (except for special occasions like birthday parties and the like), it is practically impossible to stop them when the schools are making these beverages available.
The question is: should schools be allowed to carry caffeinated beverages? Most kids these days can easily get their hands on a can of soda or a coffee drink. It’s not uncommon to see children under the age of ten standing in line at Starbucks and nobody bats an eye when even a small child is seen drinking soda at a restaurant (it even comes in kiddie cups). And with our fast-food culture, some parents are willing to give their kids whatever they want at the drive thru just to keep them quiet and get them fed quickly. So should schools be held responsible for children who purchase these beverages on campus?
In truth, if the schools are making these caffeinated drinks available, they must be held accountable. Those parents who want to keep their kids away from this and other stimulants (sugary snacks, for example) are well within their rights to do so. But if the schools offer them through vending machines, parents can’t possibly hope to have their wishes upheld. And you really can’t blame the kids – they aren’t exactly known for self-control and they rely on the adults around them for sound decision-making on their behalf.
So if schools are going to bring in vending machines as a way to make additional cash for their extracurricular activities, they should do so with the best interest of the students in mind. By providing healthier drinks like all-natural fruit juice and smoothies, or bottled water, they can still earn a bit of extra cash without giving kids the soda and other caffeinated beverages that are going to have them bouncing off the walls when they should be focusing on their studies.
Jamie Danielson is a writer for Jamaican Coffee Online where you can purchase and learn about coffee from the Blue Mountains.