After announcing that energy drinks would be banned on campus, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) will not put the ban into effect after all, according to the Associated Press.
The plan, originally meant to ban Red Bull and three other energy drinks, was first delayed, and then abandoned altogether, according to the Associated Press.
UNH president Mark W. Huddleston told the Huffington Post that the ban was supposed to help make UNH the healthiest campus in the U.S. by 2020.
In a statement, Huddleston said there was no clear evidence that the drinks are exacerbating alcohol abuse and that sales data showed students aren't purchasing multiple servings, which might have suggested binge drinking, according to the Associated Press.
“I do not now see a clear rationale for eliminating an option that students say they want,” Huddleston told the New Hampshire.
"I want to be sure we respect our students' ability to make informed choices about what they consume," he told the Huffington Post.
Second-year student Corrin Murphy told the Associated Press that his fellow students were upset about the possibility of a ban.
“Every class I've been in, every one's been in an uproar. I haven't seen anyone who's for it," Murphy said.
Second-year student Troy Collins told the New Hampshire he feels the ban is really foolish and because it's New Hampshire, whose state motto is 'Live Free or Die,’ students should be able to make their own decisions.
“Energy drinks typically contain more caffeine than soft drinks, along with large amounts of sugar and additional ingredients that claim to boost mental and physical energy,” Collins said.
“While such products are legal and safe when consumed as intended, they can be unsafe when overused or mixed with alcohol” David May, assistant vice president for business affairs, told the Huffington Post.
For many, having the energy drinks available on campus is simply convenient. Fourth-year student Robert Johnson told the Huffington Post he feels the ban would have really mean nothing to students.
"Most students go to parties off-campus, and stopping by a convenience store to buy an energy drink, often at a lower cost, is no problem to them,” Johnson said. “The only thing that I see this new ban doing is increasing sales of energy drinks at convenience stores in Durham."
Cecile Marczinski, associate professor of psychology at Norther Kentucky University, told the Associated Press that she finds it surprising that UNH would consider a sales ban since it seems as though most schools are going in the opposite direction by having energy drinks more available on campus. Some vending machines are now half-full of energy drinks, she added.
Jacob Sheldon, a second-year communications student at Carleton, said energy drinks get him through times he wouldn’t normally hit the sheets.
“I usually drink [energy drinks] in the mid-afternoon when I need a pick me up since I hate coffee. I usually drink more during exams,” Sheldon said.