Throughout our school, students everywhere can be found carrying their favorite form of caffeine.

Whether it be an energy drink or a cup of coffee, they all have one thing in common; students rely on them to function and get through the school day. 

Since school starts at 8 a.m. every day, many students have to get up even earlier to catch their buses and be ready in time for the first bell.

Not to mention that many students have to stay up late to finish their homework after a long day of school, practice, and other extracurricular activities.

These factors all contribute to a severe lack of sleep, which growing teens majorly need, causing dependence on caffeinated beverages.

Overconsumption of such drinks can lead to health concerns down the line, such as headaches and heart issues, as well as disrupting any sleep students do manage to get.

In my opinion, the students aren’t the ones to blame for this issue: It’s the school system.

It was never a good idea to have school start so early, forcing students to cope with such problematic planning in unhealthy ways. 

This is a difficult issue to solve given that this would call for a full remodel of our current system, but pushing school start times later in the future is the only real solution.

It’s fully possible for students to still get something out of the school day in six hours instead of eight, for example, it’s just going to take a lot of rearranging and effort from those in our school, district, and state.