Most North Atlanta students begin their day the same way: the blaring of an alarm pulling them from their sleeping bliss. It’s pretty common for sleep-deprived high school students to have trouble getting out of bed. Rather than correcting their sleep schedules however, many students choose to start their mornings with a cup of coffee to get their heart racing. From a simple latte to an iced skinny no-whip low-fat frappuccino, caffeine seems to be this student body’s poison of choice.

A common debate among coffee lovers concerns the best brand to drink, be it for the taste or affordability. Junior Bayli Graham is one North Atlanta caffeine lover and she had her own specific opinions on her morning jolt. “Right now my favorite is RaceTrac coffee, because they have really cute cappuccino machines,” she said.  

Other students choose their coffee by location, particularly if it’s near their house or on the way to school. This convenience strengthens the appeal of coffee even more, particularly with the opening of a new drive-thru Starbucks establishment about a year ago on Northside Parkway, about 2 miles from North Atlanta. This continues to draw in students from schools all over the area, only adding to the morning rush hour traffic. It seems though, that an impending tardy is not enough to keep students from their coffee, as many can be seen walking into class late sipping their favorite Starbucks blend. “It really helps that I have such easy access to Starbucks on the way to school, but I’ve really started to become dependent on coffee this year to stay awake,” said junior Carter Law.

This continued coffee intake comes with a price. Caffeine is an addictive substance, and unknowingly, many students have ended up addicted to coffee. As their bodies grow accustomed to this regular intake, it becomes harder for them to function without it. While a small amount of caffeine every so often isn’t harmful to teenage brains, drinking too much coffee tends to make students jittery. Junior Brendan Weinbaum never jumped on the coffee bandwagon. “I never wanted to become dependent on it,” he said.

Teenage drinking has taken North Atlanta by storm — coffee of course! However, as latte-lovers quarrel over their favorite drinks and joints, they tend to disregard the health-risks tied to coffee drinking. While a fresh cup is appealing to make up for a lost night of sleep, it isn’t a smart habit to get into. There’s always the option of hitting the hay a lot earlier, right? Nah. Hey Starbucks: I’ll see you tomorrow.