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 4.76 (Highly recommend) from 30 votes (12507 Visits) |
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Caffeine tablets.............No doz............Are our teens safe with them?........... |
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by cookclan  (February 2007) (rank 11th) |
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I am really concerned of a thing that alot of teenagers seem to be using these days and it is readily available over the counter from a chemist......Service station......Or even in your local supermarket.......There is no evidence on these being of any danger to yourself or your children in the correct dose BUT I still wanted to put it out here for people who are not aware of these.......
NO DOZ....
These tablets are available to anyone of any age.......At the end of last year I was aware of quiet a few teenagers who used these to stay awake and alert making them feel more able to study for their end of year exams.....They also let the kids study and still keep their social life going.......I know the teens I knew taking them were taking them in larger than recommended doses.........I have seen reactions of shaking and being overly energetic to wide open eyes which looked really tired almost like they wanted to sleep but couldn't.......Depending on your weight and height etc.. these tablets can have a different effect on each peson...........I have alos seen teenager take these and then drink on top of them........Lets face it the tablets they say are equal to one cup of coffee.........How many people would have 6 cups of coffee at once.......If you search enough over the net you can find stories on teenagers blogs about how many they have taken and what sort of buzz it gave them.......
There is other caffeine tablets on the market but this one is the one I have seen sold and used here........These tablets are promoted to people to help them extend their waking hours........These tablets are supposed to as the maker says..... Assist you in remaining alert and wide awake.........They also as with most tablets have written on the box do not exceed a certain amount of them a day......
The recommend dose per day of these tablets is 6 per day on normal No doz and 5 per day on No Doz plus.......I have found this actually written on the No Doz website which is for their own product so I have cut and pasted this below from here.........
Warnings: For occasional use only. Not intended for use as a substitute for sleep. If fatigue or drowsiness persists or continues to recur, consult a doctor. The recommended dose of this product contains about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Limit the use of caffeine containing medications, foods or beverages while taking this product because too much caffeine may cause nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness and occasionally rapid heart beat. Do not give to children under the age of 12 years of age. As with any drug, if you are pregnant, nursing a baby, have high blood pressure or a heart condition, seek the advice of a health professional before using this product. Keep out of the reach of children. Vitamin supplements should not replace a balanced diet.
So if that warning is on them why can our teens still buy them.....Why are they available in supermarkets and petrols stations.....I have said it before and I will say it again.......Being a teenager is an experimental stage so why put the temptation right there for them........My advice to you is to read the website provided and keep an eye on your kids with what they are taking to study or keep awake ......The teenagers I know who have taken these thinking that they are a safe way to stay wide awake even if they do not follow the directions......Whatever happened to having a good nights sleep and a balanced diet to help you study for those exams??
These are just my thoughts on another thing that the teens of today are taking.......What are yours???
Have a great day
Cheers
Angie |
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| ADVICE RATING |
4.76 (Highly recommend) from 30 votes |
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Re: Caffeine tablets.............No doz............Are our teens safe with them?...........
My little bro's mate takes No Doz washed down the a bottle of V! She's hyperactive, although she is very alert, somehow still sleeps the recommended amount of hours at night, and is very bright. Not sure I'd be able to sleep after that combination in the afternoons. Different people are affected in different ways. I have used them on occasion when I've had too much on and had an assignment in that I forgot about and hadn't even begun. Yes, this is just recently. Being a busy mum, doing it all on my own, I needed to pull an all-nighter and bought some. Took 2 of them through the night, as well as a cup of coffee, then had 3 cups of coffee before work to stay awake at work and had another No Doz tablet at work in my lunch break to keep me up for the afternoon. My body went back to normal. I haven't taken them since and had a normal bed time that night and I would do the same thing again if I have to do another all-nighter. It's not a good idea to do this every night and every day of course. Great article, always good advice coming from you. There are people who do abuse it, and I must say it was a shock how readily available they were and I could just buy them off the shelf. However, coffee is also readily available and can be bought everywhere.
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Re: Caffeine tablets.............No doz............Are our teens safe with them?...........
I am new to this sight and signed up to comment on this article, so please forgive me if I am a little forward. I think that the article that was well written was very well thought out, I am making the assumption that it is from a parent who is concerned for their child and others, and commented on be similar people (forgive me if I am wrong). I am a 19 year old male, currently doing medicine and still living at home, as such my mother and I have discussed the matter of caffeine at length, and I have done considerable research on the topic. I believe that it would be helpful to have a point of view from the side of your children. Let me make my self clear, there are parts of the article which are true and there are people who will abuse caffeine, but this is a small minority, and although caffeine can be dangerous it is only so in very large doses. In fact the lowest known overdose on caffeine was at a level of 3.2 grams, this is the equivalent of 32 No-Doze or 40 cans of an average energy drink such as red bull, in order for it to be lethal it must all be taken within 1 hour so that it is absorbed by the body at the same time, but the average overdose level is 5-10 grams, in other words if someone were to die from a caffeine overdose they rely must be trying to commit sureside. I refer to a comment made by Monyg83 on February 15th "all i can say is if you find your child has been taking these, find out why and do your utmost to try and get them off them!!!! before its too late!!!!!!!!!!!” monyg83 appears to believe that the use of caffeine will lead to other, more dangerous drugs. There is no research to support this nor is there any research to even sagest it as a possibility, there are several people, especially high ranking business men/women and doctors who have a very high caffeine intake and have never taken illegal drugs (I once had the privilege of working with a doctor who is considered the worlds best orthopedic surgeon at knees and hips. He drinks in excess of 16 cups of espresso per day and does not use illegal drugs).
My point is what would you rather your children be taking, illegal drugs which kill brain cells, destroy the chance of them having a good job, and course other more severe health problems such as kidney failure (which is lethal); or then taking caffeine which as cookclan stats in her article makes people “able to study for their end of year exams.”, will not kill brain cells, as a result of them getting good marks they will get a good job, and will only course adverse health problems only in very large quantities for an extended period of time.
The question is why do teens take caffeine in large doses, the answer is so that they can get good marks and make parents proud of them.
At the end of the day the sad reality is that all teenagers will at some point experiment with drugs, whether it be tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, or any number of illegal drugs, the simple fact whether good or bad is that caffeine is without a doubt one of the safest ways to do this.
I would not recommend that a parent try to stop a teen’s caffeine consumption as monyg83 suggests because this will lead to them using other drugs. Rather talk to your teen about it as an adult and ensure that they are well informed, but remember you will not be able to educate our young adult until you are first well informed.
At the end of the day what would you rather them be talking: alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, caffeine or cocaine.
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Re: Caffeine tablets.............No doz............Are our teens safe with them?...........
Hi, i'm from australia, and am currently studying yr 12, last year of high school. I must that i totally agree with dave88.
There is pretty much only one reason that teens take caffeine tablets such as No-Doz, in order to stay awake and extend their day.
I, for one, travel over two hours a day to get to school, i do community work, and i also have younger siblings to look after. Imagine trying to get the best possible marks on top of that, its pretty damn hard.
nowadays, having a 'good night's sleep and a balanced diet' is almost impossible to achieve. a balanced diet can be achieved, but having a good nights rest is incredibly hard, and i assure you, most of us students would want nothing more.
But ask any student, and ask how many hours of sleep they get during exam time, and how much work they're able to get done, and the truth would be around 5-7hrs, as opposed to the recommended 9.25hrs, and they probably havent been able to learn that much due to their tiredness. caffeine tablets allow them to study harder, better, and as long as the dosage is within recomended boundaries, this can be pretty beneficial.
So before you jump to such negative conclusions about caffeine tablets, look at it from your child's point of view, and as dave88 said, discuss it with them as rational adults.
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Re: Caffeine tablets.............No doz............Are our teens safe with them?...........
Just excuses mate....
I used to leave for school at 6:45am every day, and get home from school at around 6:45pm. I worked on the farm, managed a part time job tending to the neighbors orchard (mainly grass mowing, garden maintenance) and still managed to study. I slept on average 8 - 8 1/2 hours per night and never needed caffeine tablets.
I ate properly, rested properly and slept properly.
My best friend lived in the city, didn't work and after school went home to study. He relied on coffee, caffeine tablets and later Guarana tablets on top. He used to say that he didn't have enough hours to study, and couldn't get a good night sleep. His need for caffeine was the reason he suffered. The tablets prevented him having a good nights sleep, due to the coming down effect, and he often started falling asleep during class. So he took more pills., the cycle grew. Well after having a health scare, his doctor told him to get off caffeine. Within 3 months he began sleeping normally and his study habits became better.
Refine your routines, correct your nutrition intake and you will not need caffeine!
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well that brings back memories...
I used to take those no doz plus tablets a few years ago, back when i was putting in alot of hours at my old job, followed by a very busy social life, and ive gotta say, THESE THINGS ARE DANGEROUS!
what disturbs me about them, (and thankfully, im very proud to say that i didnt fall into this trap,) when kids become dependand on legal energy enhancers like these, and their bodies build up tolerances to them, what do they do next? are they going to move on to bigger and better (and illegal) things?
all i can say is if you find your child has been taking these, find out why and do your utmost to try and get them off them!!!! before its too late!!!!!!!!!!!
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Annoyed. Very annoyed.
This thread seems to be made of people who are set on one thing and aren't open to persuasion. However, as it was stated earlier, caffene has, to my knowledge, no lasting side effects. Sure, it may pose certain dangers depending on a variety of other factors. Lifestyle: for example how much water you drink, how much exersise you get in the week, etc. It could also worsen the risk of certain health issues coupled with bad genes.
Key words there people: BAD GENES. How many people drink coffee? Quite a few, in the world today? Out of those, how many people were *killed* by their coffee, excluding cases of, i dont know, drowning or something. How many people were killed by the caffene in their coffee? Not many, if any at all.
To be entirely honest, im more worried about the effects that the parents are having on their children about these things. Im just starting year 11, with a casual job on the side at my local supermarket. When im closing the store, it takes quite a bit out of me, even though we only close at 10:15 pm. I drink energy drink to keep myself awake, and I have for quite a while now. The only side effect I've had is I had to get a filling recently. If my parents full on stop me from doing something it only encourages me to go behind their backs to try it, due to human nature. I'm sure when you parents were our age, you wanted to try these things and you didnt like what your parents were telling you, etc.
In response to the comments about school, it varies person to person. There is a guy in my class who knows more about maths than the teacher, its more how his brain is wired up than anything else. I do my share of homework (usually!) but some things i cant seem to get and i need to work harder than everyone else. Essays are a nightmare for me, so i need to spend quite a while on them. What does this have to do with the topic you say? Interesting question. If you find things easier, you tend not to work as hard on them, agreed? So if you find it difficult, you tend to need to work longer. There are so many hours in the day, and some people get tired easier than others. Some need caffene to get them through the day, let alone how much they should sleep. Its all about self control people. If you go so far as to overdose on the stuff, then thats your problem. Used responsibly, however the stuff is a lifesaver...
Thats just my opinion though!
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Re: Annoyed. Very annoyed.
this is an interesting thread.
i am a third year psychological neuroscience student, and no 'credible' claim can be made about a point of contention without statistical reinforcement.
Caffeine is a natural stimulant.
No-Doz typically contains 100mg of caffeine, and in some cases nicotinic acid and thiamine hydrochloride. There is no substantial evidence that, within moderation, No-Doz, Caffeine supplements or coffee lead to detrimental psychological or physiological consequences.
Rather, a simple logic should be applied;
Anything in excess has potential for the detriment of the body.
Be careful not to fall victim to the imposably ignorant media, or word of mouth.
Learn as much as you can and always make an informed decision.
And when it comes to your children, just ensure that they keep it within a respectable limit.
The notion of 'binging' on caffeine supplements, or any kind of natural supplement, seems incredibly daft. Ensure they are aware of the potential dangers; none of which can be applied to No-Doz if taken responsibly.
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Re: Annoyed. Very annoyed.
I have to back you here Hero...you are well educated with regards to caffeine.
I would like to add to your great response with a few facts.
- Caffeine is an appetite suppressant - if over used will make the user feel less and less hungry over time. This is not good for anyone, but if the user is s sporty type, or high energy type person, they will run into big troubles nutritionally.
- Caffeine is a water dispersant/purgative - Using Caffeine pills or drinking excessive amounts of caffeinated drinks can cause dehydration, which triggers the need to drink more. All drinks containing caffeine will make you thirsty, and in turn you drink more. Drinking caffeine laced drinks while doing sporting events, or on hot weather days may lead to an increasing occurrence of sunstroke or severe heat related dehydration.
- Caffeine is Addictive - Why do you think that kids can't get enough of the Coke soft drink/Soda? Well the answer is caffeine. Caffeine has strong addictive qualities, creating more and more need to consume it. The more you consume, the more you will need to get the same level of satisfaction from it.
- Caffeine is poisonous - did you know that 10g of pure caffeine is considered a lethal dose? Meaning that 10g of pure caffeine will kill you.
- Caffeine in higher doses contributes to heart attacks, and in a few cases caused fatal hear attacks in teenagers who consumed unsafe doses of the products containing caffeine. Kids are huge victims here, taking vast quantities of caffeine in energy drinks, stay awake tablets, in foods and in common drinks such as Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate and soft drinks (or soda).
Recent studies showed that energy drinks full of caffeine are dangerous. Drinking more than one of these energy drinks per hour causes a variety of issues. From elevated blood pressure, elevated body temperature to heart arrhythmia (or irregular/missing heart beats). These tests were shown on Today tonight in Australia and the test subjects were 16 year old kids, who were medically tested before these trials took place. All the subjects were medically fit and free of any underlying medical states. All of the subjects recorded irregular heartbeat after drinking 2-3 of these energy drinks per hour.
On the subject of energy drinks, you might notice the ingredient Guarana. Most energy drinks contain Caffeine and Guarana. Well I'm informing you that the thing that makes Guarana so powerful as a stimulant........is Caffeine. Guarana has more caffeine than any other source of caffeine on the planet.
Now legally, manufacturers are allowed to have a certain volume of caffeine in any consumable product. The way they can hugely boost the volume of caffeine is by using the paste from the seeds of the Paullinia tree, which is more commonly known as Guarana. By listing the ingredient as Guarana, manufactures triple the legal amount of caffeine in a product and get away with it.
Personally I would not allow my kids to take no-doz pills or any other caffeine tablet. Drinking large volumes of "Energy" drinks is dangerous, because of taking in large amounts of caffeine, sugar and chemical flavorings.
There are better and less harmful ways to assist people to stay awake and focused. Because of my involvement with a company that has a product that can help I cannot mention it without advertising. Anyone interested, Minti me and I'll give you information on it. If I get a few people interested, I'll make a blog entry about the product for you,...
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Related keywords: buzz, caffeine, exams, nervousness, no-doz, shaking, sleeplessness, teenagers
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Alana
