Caffeine University?

Ninety percent of Americans consume this drug daily. It's caffeine and it's the most popular drug by far in the US, according to howstuffworks.com.

The national statistics translate to the college setting, where high-caffeine consumption seems to be the norm for almost nearly the entire student body.

This was not necessarily the case for students while they were in high school. "I didn't drink so much soda back home in high school," freshman Jennifer Luz said, citing her newly-heightened need to stay awake and study.

Freshman Ray Hsu agrees that the college lifestyle often necessitates more caffeine consumption than that of high school, saying that coffee is now an essential component of his college life.

"I think the main difference is that I stay up later now, and it's harder to stay awake," Hsu said.

The popularity of caffeinated drinks peaks around exam times, which can lead many to a caffeine binge. Last semester, sophomore Paula Lee stayed awake for 40 hours straight after drinking one bottle of Amp, one frappuccino, two bottles of Starbucks Doubleshots, and a Coke. Lee drank this large amount of caffeine with the intention of staying alert while studying for finals.

After her extended period of sleeplessness, Lee says that she had trouble returning to a regular sleeping schedule: she could only doze for two hours at a time before waking again.

Despite the interruption to her sleeping habits, Lee feels her caffeine consumption was worthwhile. "At least I was getting more information in my head than I would have sleeping," Lee said. She adds that had she slept instead, she would have most likely performed worse on her exams.

The increased thirst for caffeine around exam time is even reflected in dining service retail choices. Previously, Cyrus Falconer, the Dining Retail Manager at Hodgdon, did not think that selling the caffeine-loaded drinks is a high-profit endeavor: the drinks are expensive and most students have a limited budget.

However, last semester during finals, Falconer decided to try selling Amp and Starbucks Doubleshots beverages and received a positive response.

"A guy from Pepsi-Cola came in with some sample cartons and they sold in a couple of days," Falconer said.

With college students being a vied for market, the food industry has capitalized upon the growing popularity of caffeinated sodas and "energy drinks," as reflected in the many emerging beverage products such as Red Bull, Amp, Jolt, and Starbucks Doubleshots. Even caffeinated water can be found in Jumbo Express, not to mention the local Star Market.

While many students intake caffeine, it like many drugs, affects different people in different ways, particularly depending on how much a person is accustomed to consuming. Nutrition Communication student Diane Voyatzis reports that because of the ability to build a tolerance for caffeine, a "best-use strategy" for students is to consume caffeinated beverages only when they really need a boost.

For students not used to consuming large amounts of caffeinated drinks on a regular basis, suddenly doing so can yield unwanted results. Freshmen Kyra Jackivicz downed two Red Bulls and five Amps _ approximately 575 milligrams of caffeine _ the day before an exam. The large amount of caffeine in her body kept her too hyper to even sit still.

"I don't usually drink anything with caffeine in it, so I couldn't concentrate on anything, let alone my work," Jackivicz said. "I was up until two o'clock the next morning."

Such symptoms shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. Carol Maltacea, a nurse at University Health Services, believes that most students have had some exposure to the effects of caffeine by the time they begin college. "It's mostly common knowledge that caffeine keeps you awake and can make you jittery," Maltacea said.

Instead of limiting caffeine intake, however, many students take advantage of it consuming it in large doses. What these students may not be aware of, however, is that the health effects of the drug don't stop with sleeplessness and jitters.

Increased heart rate, heightened tension in the muscles, and decreased blood flow to the stomach are some of the effects that the body experiences in the "fight-or-flight" response induced by caffeine intake. Also, students who consume large amounts of caffeine literally become addicted to it, suffering from headaches, exhaustion, and irritability whenever they don't consume caffeine at a high level.

Those who look to caffeine as a way to sober up after a night of heavy drinking should be aware that caffeine does not, in fact, increase the process of becoming sober or ward off a hangover. Though caffeine is a stimulant, it does not speed up the liver's ability to process alcohol.