Daniel Marshall

Bubbl’r is a smashing success at PVHS, but do its ingredients speak about how people consume caffeine as adolescents?

When it comes to quenching thirst, water doesn’t always cut it, and the search for a healthy alternative is not always straightforward.

The start of the 2022 school year marked the beginning of the reign of Bubbl’r, the flavored sparkling water brand that took PVHS by storm. Now offered in vending machines and the cafeteria coolers during study hall or lunch, the drink can be seen among students in nearly every classroom.

What caused the beverage to bubble over in popularity so quickly? 

Bubbl’r manages to capture the sweetness and texture of traditional sodas in a variety of flavors, all while boasting zero sugar and thus avoiding the destruction of one’s dental and digestive health. Since PVHS does not offer beverages produced by the industry giants Coke, Pepsi or Dr. Pepper, a can of Bubbl’r is the next best alternative.

Senior Marcus Brown is an avid consumer of the Bubbl’r product line. “Personally, I enjoy Bubblr’s taste almost as much as soda, which is a sentiment I’ve heard from others at PVHS,” he stated.

Although the ingredients mimic the feel of soda while avoiding most health risks, there remains a minor area of concern among students. Each can contains roughly 69 mg of caffeine, about the same as a cup of coffee. While one or even two cups of coffee per day will most likely have little effects outside of a small energy boost, repeated abuse of caffeine can lead to dependence and withdrawal symptoms. In adolescents, caffeine abuse might cause disruptions in sleep schedules and amplified anxiety.

UNC pediatrist Ty G. Bristol has researched the effects of Caffeine on adolescents. “Some teens can get twitchy, and caffeine can cause insomnia if you consume too much or late at night,” Bristol elaborated.

So why could Bubbl’r be the tipping point? Caffeine was still accessible prior to the introduction of this sparkling water brand. Small coffee shops such as Atomic have been selling energy drinks for years, and they are still popular among high schoolers. The cause for concern is not how much caffeine can be found in each drink or the ingredients used, but rather a matter of accessibility. Students have to go out of their way to buy an Atomic drink, but the addition of Bubbl’r within the school opens the door to caffeine for all students for a large portion of the school day, all within walking distance. 

Should students now be afraid of the humble can of bubbles? To much relief, the answer is probably not. Recommendations advise adolescents to drink no more than 100mg of caffeine per day, but as long as students exercise control and understand their limits, there will be little to no harm dealt. It is unlikely that a student will be devouring four cans a day, given that costs will quickly add up after paying $1.50 for each can.

In many cases, caffeine can actually be beneficial for students. It provides the energy needed for students who are slow in the mornings or just want the boost in their attention span. “Caffeine is crucial for some students to be able to feel energetic enough to go about their day,” Marcus continued.

Health debates aside, Bubbl’r will stand as one of the most popular drinks in PVHS for the 2022-2023 school year. Its colorful variety of flavors provides students with plenty of options to quench their thirst. A can or two a day would not hurt and at its worst would make a half-asleep student bubble with energy.