Middlebury College Bans Energy Drinks, Linking Use to Alcohol, 'High-Risk' Sex
131 replies, posted
[URL="http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/college-game-plan/middlebury-college-bans-energy-drinks-linking-use-alcohol-sex-n526576"]Source[/URL]
[QUOTE]Say goodbye to the caffeine-fueled all-nighter: Middlebury College in Vermont has banned campus sales of popular energy drinks such as Red Bull and 5-Hour ENERGY.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]College officials blame the drinks for contributing to "problematic behavior," such as alcohol abuse and "high-risk sexual activity," and say they don't contribute to the dining service's mission to "nourish" its students.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]A prominent flyer in the college's Wilson Cafe states: "Energy drink consumption facilitates unhealthy work habits such as prolonged periods of sleeplessness, contributing to a campus culture of stress and unsustainable study habits."[/QUOTE]
Important Detail:
[QUOTE]Middlebury students aren't banned from consuming the drinks — they just have to buy them elsewhere. And Guayaki Yerba Mate, an energy shot made from organic tea that's considered a healthier alternative, will still be available in campus cafes.[/QUOTE]
Mmm, gotta love some good ol' nanny state.
[QUOTE=sgman91;49875127]Mmm, gotta love some good ol' nanny state.[/QUOTE]
I anticipated this reponse from you or somebody else. If you read the article, you'd learned that the school doesn't want to be responsible for selling shit that has been scientifically proven over and over again to wreck your body. The college ISN'T BANNING the consumption of energy drinks. The college IS BANNING THEIR SALE of energy drinks. Their students can still get energy drinks from other sources.
[QUOTE=axelord157;49875191]I anticipated this reponse from you or somebody else. If you read the article, you'd learned that the school doesn't want to be responsible for selling shit that has been scientifically proven over and over again to wreck your body. The college ISN'T BANNING the consumption of energy drinks. The college IS BANNING THEIR SALE of energy drinks. Their students can still get energy drinks from other sources.[/QUOTE]
That changes nothing. It's a legal drink and students should be allowed to make their own choice on whether to buy it. The campus store is there to provide a service to the students, not tell them what's good for them. (and that doesn't even include the private sales from franchised locations on campus)
[QUOTE=sgman91;49875205]That changes nothing. It's a legal drink and students should be allowed to make their own choice on whether to buy it. The campus store is there to provide a service to the students, not tell them what's good for them.[/QUOTE]
The students are there to study and if the campus sells something that is linked to stress and therefore issues studying, they're sending the wrong signal (and it obviously doesn't help the students either).
[QUOTE=sgman91;49875205]That changes nothing. It's a legal drink and students should be allowed to make their own choice on whether to buy it. The campus store is there to provide a service to the students, not tell them what's good for them.[/QUOTE]
So a business shouldn't be allowed to pick what products they choose to sell because why? If I open a store and don't want to sell a specific kind of product is that my right or not? Fucking nanny state telling me what products I have to sell in [I]my[/I] store.
I wish my college still sold red bull, they got those godawful kick-starts from Pepsi which are just bleh
[editline]5th March 2016[/editline]
Besides which, everything in a college store is gonna be hugely marked up, with redbulls being like what 3$/can already, that shits expensive in college stores
[QUOTE=draugur;49875220]So a business shouldn't be allowed to pick what products they choose to sell because why? If I open a store and don't want to sell a specific kind of product is that my right or not? Fucking nanny state telling me what products I have to sell in [I]my[/I] store.[/QUOTE]
Did I say the government should stop them? No, I didn't. So take your false equivalency somewhere else.
The entire point is that they are not doing what the students want. They are attempting to compel the students to stop doing something that they want because the students aren't responsible enough to take care of themselves. Big daddy university feels that it needs to take action to save the students from their own choices.
[QUOTE=sgman91;49875205]That changes nothing. It's a legal drink and students should be allowed to make their own choice on whether to buy it. The campus store is there to provide a service to the students, not tell them what's good for them. (and that doesn't even include the private sales from franchised locations on campus)[/QUOTE]
The students still have the choice to buy energy drinks elsewhere. The school has the right to not sell energy drinks on their property.
[QUOTE=sgman91;49875236]Did I say the government should stop them? No, I didn't. So take your false equivalency somewhere else.
The entire point is that [B]they are not doing what the students want[/B]. They are attempting to compel the students to stop doing something that they want because the students aren't responsible enough to take care of themselves. Big daddy university feels that it needs to take action to save the students from their own choices.[/QUOTE]
US Colleges are pretty good at that tbh.
[QUOTE=axelord157;49875245]The students still have the choice to buy energy drinks elsewhere. The school has the right to not sell energy drinks on their property.[/QUOTE]
I'm not talking about rights. I'm talking about intent.
A private restaurant may stop using trans-fats because it knows that customers don't like it, but they will never stop using a product against people's wishes because they think it's better for them. Only locations with paternalistic intent do that, like this university.
And if the college uses some type of on campus currency in conjunction with meal plans, they effectively have made many student unable to get energy drinks. Many students rely on that as pretty much their only spending money.
[quote]College officials blame the drinks for contributing to "problematic behavior," such as alcohol abuse and "high-risk sexual activity," and say they don't contribute to the dining service's mission to "nourish" its students.[/quote]
Correlation does not equal causation and if there is causation here I'm betting my ass it goes the other way.
[QUOTE=sgman91;49875236]Did I say the government should stop them? No, I didn't. So take your false equivalency somewhere else.
The entire point is that they are not doing what the students want. They are attempting to compel the students to stop doing something that they want because the students aren't responsible enough to take care of themselves. Big daddy university feels that it needs to take action to save the students from their own choices.[/QUOTE]
I never said the government should stop anyone either? A campus shop is a business like any other yeah? Just ran by the university. Thus it may decide to conduct busines how it wishes yes or no? If I want to open a gun store and not sell a specific brand of gun or a specific caliber of gun and ammunition it is the same thing? Just because there is a demand for X doesn't mean I have to cater to that demand if I choose not to. Reasoning is irrelevant, it is my right as a business owner so long as I am not discriminating against anyone (no Women, Men, Blacks, Mexicans, Irish, Jews, Whites, whatever. you get the point.) then it is perfectly fine for me to do so.
Or does the business owner's right to conduct business how they want no longer apply because some people want a product they're not selling? Should we force all supermarkets to sell Halal or factory farm sourced meat despite them not wanting to sell it because some people want cheap meat? Do you not understand the point I'm making or what? Unless the campus shop is administrated by a student's union as they often are here in the UK, at least in my experience, and then the students literally have made the decision to not sell energy drinks in their own store by a democratic system so..
[QUOTE=draugur;49875278]I never said the government should stop anyone either? A campus shop is a business like any other yeah? Just ran by the university. Thus it may decide to conduct busines how it wishes yes or no?
Or does the business owner's right to conduct business how they want no longer apply because some people want a product they're not selling? Should we force all supermarkets to sell Halal or factory farm sourced meat despite them not wanting to sell it because some people want cheap meat? Do you not understand the point I'm making or what? Unless the campus shop is administrated by a student's union as they often are here in the UK, at least in my experience, and then the students literally have made the decision to not sell energy drinks in their own store by a democratic system so..[/QUOTE]
Please quote where I said they didn't or shouldn't have the right to do what they're doing.
You're just strawmanning.
I'm gonna chug down a Red Bull and have unprotected sex because of it right away!
It sounds dumb right? Guess what also sounds dumb.
[QUOTE=sgman91;49875250]A private restaurant may stop using trans-fats because it knows that customers don't like it, but they will never stop using a product against people's wishes because they think it's better for them. [B]Only locations with paternalistic intent do that, like this university.[/B][/QUOTE]
So what? Who cares? What's your point?
[QUOTE=Snowmew;49875308]So what? Who cares? What's your point?[/QUOTE]
That it's bad and should be argued against.
Those who do this type of thing play the moral argument, but I see it as a purely immoral action. They see it as helping out the students, but I see it as exerting a paternalistic desire over free adults.
[QUOTE=sgman91;49875282]Please quote where I said they didn't or shouldn't have the right to do what they're doing.
You're just strawmanning.[/QUOTE]
If you're not saying they shouldn't do something, IE there is no problem because there's no conflict, then what is the point of your posts here? If there is no problem then you're literally just saying nothing at all.
If you're not arguing that they shouldn't be able to make this decision, then you've got literally no point to make here. Because the alternative is that you're saying that they shouldn't make this decision because they're being a "nanny state". Which implies the solution is "not allow them to make this decision." See the point?
[QUOTE=sgman91;49875322]That it's bad and should be argued against.[/QUOTE]
If they're literally not discriminating against or directly harming anyone then clearly it's well within their right and perfectly fine behaviour and there's no point to be made. If there's no point to be made then and you're just filling space with pointless posts no?
[QUOTE=draugur;49875325]If you're not saying they shouldn't do something, IE there is no problem because there's no conflict, then what is the point of your posts here? If there is no problem then you're literally just saying nothing at all.
If you're not arguing that they shouldn't be able to make this decision, then you've got literally no point to make here. Because the alternative is that you're saying that they shouldn't make this decision because they're being a "nanny state". Which implies the solution is "no allow them to make this decision." See the point?[/QUOTE]
There's a difference between "shouldn't do something" and "shouldn't have the right to do something."
I don't think people should get smashed every night, but I also don't want to take away their right to do that.
[QUOTE=Snowmew;49875308]So what? Who cares? What's your point?[/QUOTE]
Because it's the nanny state looking to take your uh... freedoms away? Just like laws that require you to wear seatbelts or motocyle helmets. fuckin nanny state.
I don't think acting out of paternalism is a good thing, but I don't want to make it illegal for a private business to do so (because that would be paternalistic ;)
a school decides to not sell energy drinks in its campus store.
how is this even newsworthy? how are people getting upset over this?
[QUOTE=sgman91;49875322]That it's bad and should be argued against.
Those who do this type of thing play the moral argument, but I see it as a purely immoral action. They see it as helping out the students, but I see it as exerting a paternalistic desire over free adults.[/QUOTE]
they can still buy energy drinks anywhere else ffs. there is literally nothing wrong with the uni's decision. Oh boo hoo, it's so immoral the uni isn't selling caffeine-overloaded, sugar-infused bullshit anymore.
[editline]5th March 2016[/editline]
[QUOTE=Nautsabes;49875343]a school decides to not sell energy drinks in its campus store.
how is this even newsworthy? how are people getting upset over this?[/QUOTE]
BECAUSE THE PATERNALISTIC NANNY STATE IS COMING FOR YOUR FREE WILL
[QUOTE=axelord157;49875349]they can still buy energy drinks anywhere else ffs. there is literally nothing wrong with the uni's decision. Oh boo hoo, it's so immoral the uni isn't selling caffeine-overloaded, sugar-infused bullshit anymore.[/QUOTE]
Oh, I forgot, we're not allowed to argue against things that aren't that big of a deal. Thanks for your contribution.
You're the one who thought it was important enough to post.
would people be upset if the school had said they were not selling it because theyre not making any money off it? what difference does it make? the campus store isnt selling energy drinks either way.
[QUOTE=Nautsabes;49875359]would people be upset if the school had said they were not selling it because theyre not making any money off it? what difference does it make? the campus store isnt selling energy drinks either way.[/QUOTE]
The intent is what matters. Stopping the sale of something that people wren't buying is, in effect, acting in order to better serve your customers. Stopping the sale of something because you don't think it's good for them is acting in order to paternalistically stop them from making their own choices that you think are bad.
I actually posted this story because I wanted to see how many people would die on the stupid hill of a campus not selling energy drinks anymore.
[QUOTE=axelord157;49875373]I actually posted this story because I wanted to see how many people would die on the stupid hill of a campus not selling energy drinks anymore.[/QUOTE]
So you're an admitted troll, cool.
There's a reason I made my argument generalized. I'm arguing against the foundational beliefs behind a decision like this, not the single decision made by this one university.
[QUOTE=sgman91;49875371]The intent is what matters. Stopping the sale of something that people wren't buying is, in effect, acting in order to better serve your customers. Stopping the sale of something because you don't think it's good for them is acting in order to paternalistically stop them from making their own choices that you think are bad.[/QUOTE]
an educational thing should be educational first, a business 2nd.
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