Zachary Miron, a 15-year-old teen from Blaineville, Quebec, purchased Red Bull from a cafeteria vending machine, not knowing that combining it with his ADHD medication could be fatal. The tragedy set off a wave of public mobilization. The resulting legislation, dubbed the "Zachary Miron Act," passed Quebec's National Assembly in June 2026, making Quebec the first province in Canada to adopt legislation banning the sale of energy drinks to most minors. As counselors, we need to ask ourselves: why are people reaching for these drinks in the first place, and what does that say about our relationship with caffeine and energy drinks? Is this a new form of an addiction problem?
The short answer is yes, only if we use the term addiction loosely. I tend to interpret this as a cultural phenomenon rather than a concern. However, from the perspective of addiction, it works differently from what most people imagine. Substances like MDMA or opioids hijack the brain's dopamine reward system, flooding it with pleasure signals and creating intense cravings. Caffeine takes a subtler path. Energy drinks are now marketed as a shortcut to performance using sponsorships and celebrities. When we consider productivity as a badge, caffeine feels like a tool.
A study on caffeine use and over-studying provides an interesting insight. Students who over-study compulsively tend to use caffeine as a performance tool to push through fatigue, but the research suggests this backfires psychologically. At the same time, taking a break and waiting for recovery, which sounds like "a waste of time," actually boosts productivity in the long run (Kosecka et al., 2025).
Caffeine impacts body functioning. The safety threshold appears to be around 400 mg/day in healthy adults (19 years or older), 100 mg/day in healthy adolescents (12-18 years old), and 2.5 mg/kg/day in healthy children (less than 12 years old) (Nawrot et al., 2003; Seifert et al., 2011). Caffeine withdrawal is a real thing. It is a recognized clinical condition triggered by abruptly stopping or significantly cutting back on habitual caffeine use (Rocha Cabrero & Hamilton, 2026).
I think caffeine has become less of a tool and more of a ritual, a signal to the brain that I am in full productivity mode. For many people, the act of making coffee or popping an energy drink is what triggers the feeling of readiness, not the caffeine itself. True hard work runs on rest, intention, and self-awareness, but caffeine just borrows against tomorrow's energy to manufacture the feeling of having it today.
We live in a culture that has quietly normalized exhaustion as ambition and dedication. The pressure to always be producing, optimizing, and performing has turned rest into guilt and busyness into a personality trait. Caffeine fits neatly into this narrative: it is the socially sanctioned drug of a society that pathologizes stillness. Nobody questions the person on their fourth coffee, but plenty of people criticize those who take time for self-care. Gradually, these criticisms get internalized, and people begin to develop a fear of being seen as lazy, a fear of falling behind, a fear that their worth is only defined by their output.
Feeling burned out and running on empty? Talk to a therapist who gets it on Purple Lotus
Find a TherapistWhat I want to say is: it is OK to not be productive for a while. Be aware of how far you can push yourself. Finding a sustainable lifestyle matters more than short-term productivity.
Want to book a session with Yiming?
See Yiming's profile on Purple LotusKosecka, O., Charzynska, E., Czerwinski, S. K., Rudnik, A., & Atroszko, P. A. (2025). Caffeine Intake Mediates the Relationship Between Problematic Overstudying and Psychological Distress. Nutrients, 17(17), 2845. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17172845
Nawrot, P., Jordan, S., Eastwood, J., Rotstein, J., Hugenholtz, A., & Feeley, M. (2003). Effects of caffeine on human health. Food Additives and Contaminants, 20(1), 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1080/0265203021000007840
Rocha Cabrero, F., & Hamilton, R. J. (2026). Caffeine Withdrawal. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430790/
Seifert, S. M., Schaechter, J. L., Hershorin, E. R., & Lipshultz, S. E. (2011). Health Effects of Energy Drinks on Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults. Pediatrics, 127(3), 511-528. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-3592
Written by
Yiming Zhu
Therapist
As a counseling psychology graduate student and mental health professional, I provide human-centered approach to supporting individuals navigating trauma, addiction, career transitions, and life's challenging moments. With a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Yorkville University, a Graduate Certificate in Addiction Treatment from Georgian College, and dual bachelor's degrees in psychology and biology from Macalester College, my practice is grounded in both scientific understanding and compassionate care. I have worked across community mental health, career counseling, and peer support settings. Book Yiming on Purple Lotus
