Just because a child doesn’t drink cola doesn’t mean what he or she drinks is caffeine-free. While coffee is the leading source of caffeine intake among adults in the United States, soft drinks are the largest source of caffeine intake for children. And 70 percent of all soft drinks contain caffeine. Though most people are aware that cola contains caffeine, consumers are less aware that a number of noncola beverages—including root beer, orange and cream sodas, and lemon-lime drinks—contain caffeine amounts similar to those found in cola. Caffeine is the most widely used mood-altering drug in the world, say researchers at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. In North America, it’s estimated that 80 percent to 90 percent of adults and children habitually consume caffeine. |
