Upon entering high school, one may be so overwhelmed with “the search for self”, and test-cramming that perhaps, even waking up in the morning becomes a challenge. With all these woes, a teenager’s last worry is what they are putting into their body to make it through the day – or virtually taking out.

      So the question is, when you wake up in the morning, what is the first drink you think to grab? Water? Coffee? Juice? Even a soda or an energy drink?

      Let us think about this – water, the most essential ingredient to the human body and planet earth, is, more often than not, being passed up to it’s over-sugared, over-caffeinated superiors.

      Does this mean that kids just aren’t drinking water anymore?

      “I think [kids] are drinking water. The number of kids who are drinking [sweetened drinks] just outweighs those who are drinking water. A lot of kids come to school, and they grab a Dr. Pepper, a Coke, or a Redbull on the way to school because they want the caffeine. They get in the routine of drinking that,” Warnke said

      While aluminum cans and styrofoam cups seem trendy in the morning, there are students that still choose water.

      “I drink [a lot] of water daily. Water is hydrating and makes me feel good. [It has] a cool pure taste,” sophomore Gage Scurlock said.

      For others, it may be the easy accessibility that attracts them to water.

      “[I drink water] multiple times a day because I get cdhydrated [and] it flows out of fountains. If soda flowed out of fountains, I’d drink that,” senior Liz Johnson said.

      However, students are turning to sweetened beverages because of ‘taste’.

      “[I don’t] drink water often. It doesn’t taste very nice. [Usually] soda and tea,” junior Myrinda Spencer said.

      For one student, their beverage choice is seasonal.

      “I drink one cup of water a day, if that. I drink hot chocolate because it’s winter. Soda burns my throat because of the fizz and I like the burning of the throat,” senior Amanda Mumma said.

      Warnke thinks the reason kids are turning to sugar and caffeine is addiction.

      “Our body has a natural tendency to be attracted toward sweeteners. Caffeine speeds up the metabolism, but our brains produce chemicals that want that stimulant. Whether it be cigarettes or caffeine, our body becomes addicted to it. So, you want more of it on a regular basis. There’s nothing wrong with drink the sugars, but, if you have excess water your body is going to get rid of it. [If you have] excess sugar, your body just stores it as fat,” Warnke said.