Can coffee save your life? Not exactly, but a new study suggests that it might help prolong it. According to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, regular coffee drinkers were more likely to be alive after thirteen years than peers who chose not to drink the rich brew. This data, however, does not answer important — and increasingly relevant questions — like, is coffee consumption safe for teens and kids?

Healthy or Not, More Kids Are Drinking Coffee

“A new report, published in the journal Pediatrics, finds that 17- and 18-year-olds are consuming almost double the amount of caffeine from coffee compared with a decade earlier. And increasingly, younger tweens and teens, ages 12-16, are getting more caffeine from coffee, too,” NPR reports. The Los Angeles Times adds, “73% of kids get a caffeine jolt on any given day.” Although coffee consumption may actually be beneficial for adults, most doctors agree parents should carefully monitor kids and teens’ diets — and keep them caffeine-free whenever possible. “It is still unclear just how harmful caffeine is to kids, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says caffeine-containing beverages should generally be avoided by children,” The Los Angeles Times explains.

Coffee is Everywhere

Part of the reason coffee consumption, especially among children and teenagers, may be up is simply exposure. Today, coffee is everywhere. Modern coffee franchises take a number of different forms, and some of these forms are even mobile. The mobile coffee van business, for example, is booming. Mobile coffee vans are making it much easier for adults to get their morning cup of joe — and faster, to. Few kids and teens are getting their caffeine fix from the mobile coffee van business. Instead, kids are visiting large, stationary chains.

The way we buy and drink coffee is changing, and a growing number of Americans under age 18 are downing several cups a day. Studies show that drinking coffee may actually have health benefits for adults, but parents should still keep coffee, and other caffeinated drinks, out of their children’s diets.