Photo Courtesy of Middlebury College
In a ban going into effect March 7, Middlebury’s Dining Services has prohibited the sale of energy drinks at campus retail locations. Beverages such as 5-Hour Energy and Red Bull will no longer be allowed for purchase in campus eateries and groceries, however students will still be able to buy the drinks at the local convenience stores.
Dining Services Intern Myles Kamisher-Koch presented the idea in a January Community Council meeting, a group that consists of faculty, staff and 12 students. According to the Middlebury Campus, Kamisher-Koch cited scientific research of the negative health effects of energy drinks, argued that the sale of the highly artificial beverages went against Dining Service’s mission to “nourish and nurture today and tomorrow by sustaining mind, body and earth,” and furthermore included information connecting the consumption of energy drinks with higher alcohol intake.
According to reporting by Time, Middlebury Dining Services officials said the drinks don’t encourage a healthy lifestyle for the college’s students, echoing Kamisher-Koch’s argument. “Energy drink consumption facilitates unhealthy work habits such as prolonged periods of sleeplessness, contributing to a campus culture of stress and unsustainable study habits,” a flyer in Middlebury’s Wilson Cafe reads.
The issue has received national attention in myriad media outlets, including a television spot on NBC News. Many have focused on the potential effects of energy drinks on students’ behaviors, specifically the “increased participation in high-risk sexual activities.” While NBC reported that there may be no direct correlation between the consumption of the drinks and impending sexual scenarios, the likely combination with alcoholic beverages can make a stronger case for the cause-and-effect argument.
Sophomore Middlebury student Mimi Matthews believes that banning energy drinks is “not a pressing issue to be resolved,” and agreed that the national focus on the unconfirmed correlation has been misdirected.
“If we (the school) wanted to minimize ‘sexually risky behavior,’” she said, “maybe we should focus on trying to minimize rape culture, making the judicial process smoother for those who have decided to report their rapes and sexual assault.”
The growing issue of sexual assault and rape on college campuses has been widespread in recent years, and SLU has actively participated in creating transparency between victims and administrators. In 2015, SLU required all students to take an online training course regarding college hook-up and drinking culture, and promoting awareness of what to do in dangerous situations.
“We should be looking at promoting the importance of consent,” said Matthews. “Sure, energy drinks aren’t good for you, but do we really need to be focusing our energy on protecting our students from drinking something that they know the health risks of?”
The ban will only prohibit the sale of energy drinks and not the consumption, still providing the student body the choice to consume