It’s a common practice to stay late into the night studying for an upcoming exam or polishing an essay. At a school like St. Paul Academy, the homework load is heavy, and polls show that 78% of students resort to using caffeinated beverages at least once a week in order to push through the day. However, caffeine has its benefits and its costs.

According Business Insider, billions of people worldwide drink or some form of caffeine. Caffeinated beverages may be a great way to get some quick energy, strengthen the user’s ability to retain information, and be a better drug than other substances such as heroin or meth, students should reduce the amount of caffeine consumption because its side effects outweigh its benefits.

The FDA classifies caffeine as a drug because it stimulates the central nervous system. As stated by the Journal of Young Investigators, caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug that is legal and unregulated in almost all parts of the world. Although caffeine is legal, there are still noticeable side effects. Ever had a caffeinated beverage a few hours before bed and have been unable to fall asleep? That is because caffeine disrupts the sleep schedule usually resulting in insomnia and restlessness. Some other side effects include stomach irritation, nausea and vomiting, increased heart rate and respiration. Larger doses might cause headache, anxiety, agitation, chest pain, and ringing in the ears.

While the National Institute of Drug Abuse does not include caffeine on its commonly abused drug list, people still have some dependency and level of addiction to caffeine. Many feel the need it to function normally. Recently, caffeine withdrawal was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Based on statistics from Druginfo, in 2010 the amount of money consumers spent of obtaining caffeine increased. Today, an average worker in the U.S. spends approximately 1,100 dollars per a year on coffee. People could use this money for more necessary items.

Although 60.6% of the upper school students take a safe amount of caffeine, it still affects their daily lives on how they academically perform, sleep, and interact with others. Weaning off caffeine is not as bad as breaking away from other more addictive substances, but there is still a slow process that occurs from withdrawal. Upper school students have access to caffeine throughout the day, but they should reduce their caffeine intake to ward off dependency and symptoms of overuse including headaches and disrupted sleep.

Read the pro-caffeine article by Melissa Nie