US college bans energy drinks sale because they lead students to participate in ‘high-risk sex’

A college in the US has banned energy drinks over fears that these lead to high-risk sex and bad study habits. The Middlebury College in Vermont will ban the sale of Red Bull, 5-Hour Energy and other energy drinks on campus starting March 7.

The campus newspaper reports that the Dining Services staff agreed to the ban after Dining Software Intern Myles Kamisher-Koch introduced the topic in a Community Council meeting. According to scientific research presented by the intern, energy drinks have detrimental health effects.

The beverages, according to Kamisher-Koch’s presented data, promote poor academic tendencies and foster a “culture of stress.”

Flyers distributed by the Dining Services mention the link between energy drinks and unsafe behaviour in young people. According to the scientific literature included in the flyers, the drinks could result in “increased alcohol consumption, increased likelihood to drive while intoxicated, increased probability of use of other intoxicating substance and increased participation in high-risk sexual activity.”

Student Jenna McNicholas agreed, saying, “I learned in my psychology class that energy drinks are linked to high-risk sex and drug use.”

Other students thought the removal of energy drinks from campus stores violates a student’s right to choose what to consume.

“There are more important things for them to address,” student Arnav Adhikari told NBC News. “And what do energy drinks have to do with sexual activity?” Adhikari, who works at the campus café, said the college is over-controlling. “They still sell lots of fried food,” he said of the health claims.

A Mayo Clinic study in 2015 found out that energy drinks can blood pressure and stress home responses in young adults significantly. The Journal of Preventative Medicine, via Fox 2 Detroit, also reached similar conclusion. Too much consumption of caffeine, which is the main ingredients in energy drinks, can lead to heart trouble, irritability, sleep problems and feelings of nervousness among young people. It can also result to increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.

Students at Middlebury College are not banned to drink energy drinks, though; they just need to buy the beverages from somewhere else.