Energy drinks unhealthy, but not worse than marijuana

While I agree that marijuana is considerably less detrimental than cigarettes, alcohol, heroin, aderol, texting while driving, and so on, I disagree with the (seemingly) resentment-driven statement that marijuana is a drug “”considerably less dangerous than those hideous, heart-rate accelerating energy drinks.””

Energy drinks certainly do accelerate the pulse-rate through means of ingesting energy-enhancing chemicals like guarana (a berry native to South America with chemical properties identical to caffeine), caffeine and excess amounts of sugar. These ingredients are entirely superfluous in the human diet and cause rather jittery effects. However, energy drinks also contain ridiculous amounts of the nutrients niacin, vitamins B6 and B12 and riboflavin. Furthermore, it is important to note that THC, the chemical mostly responsible for those high times via marijuana, also increases the heart rate by as much as 50 percent (see http://www.doitnow.org/pages/126.html). Inhalation of marijuana smoke is not healthy for the lungs. Once these considerations are accounted for, energy drinks do not seem worse than marijuana, and vice versa.

Just as meals from McDonald’s or six cans of cola in one day, energy drinks are not healthy for the human body. Perhaps the predicament of the criminalization of marijuana on campus arises from its association with the discouragement of studying, while energy drinks seem to have the reverse affect.

Either way, I just wanted to clear up the assumption that energry drinks are comparable to such substances as alcohol or cigarettes; they are not that bad. I want to conclude with the clarification that I am not a part of the “”4.0 GPA crowd,”” but that I do like the energetic boost I get from my energy drink of choice.

Mindy Robinson

anthropology and philosophy sophomore

Skepticism toward police not ‘detrimental to society’

I’m glad Ramsey Joseph is here to make the final decision for us that we should avoid intoxicants (Mailbag, March 4, 2009). He, like the government, surely knows what’s best for us. He suggests the solution to the futile war on drugs is to stop doing drugs. Well thank you Nancy Reagan. While that is a solution, it’s also the solution that concedes we need a mommy (the government) to tell us what we can and cannot put in our bodies.

Yes, driving on marijuana is dangerous. I’ll bet most intelligent people, even those who smoke marijuana regularly, will concede this. The solution then isn’t to simply ban marijuana, it’s to punish those who get into an accident because of it. We don’t ban Nyquil or other legal drugs because they impair driving capabilities. You state marijuana has numerous dangers “”including some akin to those of alcohol.””

You then go on to only give one danger -ÿi.e. driving while high. This doesn’t seem “”numerous”” to me. I would presume from this then that you’re for making alcohol illegal too? If not, it’s just another status quo argument with no science behind the law.

You say the “”Fuck the police”” mentality is detrimental to society. I say it’s the only healthy thing for a society. Why should we concede so much power to ordinary people that can ruin our lives at their discretion? The police aren’t perfect, and have way more power than they need to enforce the laws.

David Knapp

electrical engineering senior

Daily Wildcat columnist offers ‘fresh, insightful’ perspective

Gabriel Matthew Schivone’s columns in the Wildcat have been truly enlightening. I look forward to reading them each week, as they are thoughtful and engaging. He offers the paper a fresh, insightful voice. I am so glad he is part of your staff.

Dr. Julia María Schiavone Camacho

Assistant Professor, University of Texas at El Paso