Middlebury College Bans Energy Drink Sales

Bad news for Middlebury College students looking to get a quick energy drink fix. The Vermont college has announced its decision to stop the sale of energy drinks on campus, with the policy officially taking effect on March 7, 2016 according to the school website. Beverages such as Red Bull and 5-Hour Energy will no longer be available for purchase on campus, however students are able to purchase the energy drinks off campus for consumption.

Dining software intern Myles Kamisher-Koch began the conversation which led to the ban, in a Community Council meeting. He presented scientific research demonstrating the negative health effects associated with energy drinks and therefore argued the sale of these drinks violated the Dining Services mission to "nourish and nurture today and tomorrow by sustaining mind, body and earth."

Kamisher-Koch also pointed to a study which found that up to 25 percent of energy drink consumers combine the beverages with alcohol, and reports of the beverages promoting poor academic tendencies and fostering a "culture of stress."

Kamisher-Koch's proposal was approved 11 to 1 by the Community Council, leading Dining Services to adopt the new policy. Unsurprisingly, not everyone is on board with this ban. Charles Rainey, a student at Middlebury, says this new measure is Dining Services "controlling what people consume," and that he and others consume energy drinks responsibly.