Middlebury College in Vermont is no longer allowing the sale of energy drinks around the campus beginning March 7. Its dining services staff presented research data linking the drinks to "high risk sex and drug use" during a debate to decide on the policy, according to The Middlebury Campus.
The school's Community Council, which is composed of the faculty, school staff and 12 students, voted in favor of banning the sale of Red Bull and 5-Hour Energy on the campus. School officials found out that some students mix the drinks with alcohol, raising more health concerns that tie the drinking habit to risky activities.
The college has started distributing flyers at its cafes detailing how energy drinks could be affecting their health and study habits. "Energy drink consumption facilitates unhealthy work habits such as prolonged periods of sleeplessness, contributing to a campus culture of stress and unsustainable study habits," it stated, according to NBC News.
Not all the students agree with this policy, though. "There are more important things for them to address," said senior Arnav Adhikari in the report, who cited that dining services still continue to serve unhealthy fried foods. Others fear that café operators will soon control what students must consume. However, drinking the caffeine-fueled drinks is not completely prohibited on the campus. The students just cannot buy these at the school cafe and in-campus retail stores anymore, according to Huffington Post.
Meanwhile, Middlebury College's dining services might just have valid reasons to ban the energy drinks as health experts have proven in a 2015 study that it can be detrimental to health. A 16-ounce drink could potentially increase stress hormones and blood pressure in young adults, thus resulting in heart damage, according to the Mayo Clinic.
