Comments on: The Coffee and Energy Drink Double Standard

By: CaffeineChemist

CaffeineChemist — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 03:23:03 +0000

It’s true. Even my mother would rather I drink coffee than an energy drink. It’s ridiculous.

And yet both of my community college’s coffee shops (we have two, yes, one per each area of the campus) sell energy drinks as well. And we have at least one energy drink vending machine per building. And they stuff energy drinks into the sandwich vending machines too. Yup.

By: tony

tony — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:20:04 +0000

i wonder if who ever published this is getting paid. cuz he is a jack ass and obviously has done no research.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:08:28 +0000

I never thought the amount of caffeine in energydrinks was the point of criticism. I believe the 5hour energy commercial successfully sums up the negative views of energy drinks, 16 tsps of sugar i believe, and guarana (tsk tsk). With that said, the double standard probably appeared from the sterotypes of the consumers; the super chill highschooler vs the everyday man.
Honestly, I have always criticized eneregy drinks for not giving enough of the energy boost that i was hoping for, and getting very bored and a little disgusted by the taste when i get to the end of the drink.
Energy drinks are deemed as bad, because they come across as soda, with more caffeine, and other food additives whos long term affects are currently unknown.
If energy drinks are in fact stigmatized due to their caffeine levels, then i agree, that is a double standard compared to coffee, but i don’t believe that’s the case. They seem to be put to the same standard as soda, somewhat justifying the negative attention energy drinks get.

By: Gilly

Gilly — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:13:45 +0000

I am hugely annoyed. It’s true! Everywhere I go, people embrace their own four cups of coffee a day routine while frowning on others’ one energy drink. I’m sorry; there is NOT a difference. Double standard.

By: ted

ted — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:42:21 +0000

Some are missing the point here..If you search this site or google for the news articles about energy drinks in schools and energy drinks and teens, 9/10 times it is the high caffeine content that is being criticized and cited as the reason they are banned from schools…

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:48:39 +0000

Funny thing actually, growing up Mormon that double standard is reversed. Coffee is totally banned. But since energy drinks are new, they are somewhat allowed. Alot of people still look down upon it, but I’ve seen people bring energy drinks to church while I’m sure someone would have been scorned bringing coffee.

By: Racheal

Racheal — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:45:23 +0000

I personally prefer coffee due to the extra things like sugar in the energy drinks. However, I don’t shun energy drinks completely; I just reach for the sugar-free (or, scary as it sounds, the coffee-based) kind. My biggest issue is with carbonation–that was actually the main reason I gave up soda in the first place. It just makes me feel sick. Other than that, I’m okay with sugar-free energy drinks, but coffee is my favorite.

By: Knut

Knut — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:04:31 +0000

JW, sucrose is sugar. Sucralose is Splenda.

By: Tim

Tim — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:35:32 +0000

Ever since I started collecting energy products, I got so angry about this double-standard. Cubicle-dwellers and working adults guzzle gallons of coffee a day, but the thing that gets people up in arms is the amount of caffeine in Red Bull and Monster. And yes, there’s the HFCS thing, but in reality it’s just as good/bad/indifferent as sugar; it’s just the latest “in” thing to shun. A few years ago, sugar was bad. Now it’s good! Diet fads are annoying.

By: The Crowing

The Crowing — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:48:09 +0000

I agree with you Fizz, the problem extends far beyond just parents though. It seems all of society has the same problem. Look at obesity rates around the country, they’re still extremely high. With that comes a taboo on making fun of fat people, which ends in it being acceptable to be fat.

Personally, I drink energy drinks fairly often (though I do tend to lean more towards coffee), but I haven’t had any real negative impact from them (well, other than caffeine addiction). As much as you can blame HFCS for obesity, it must also be taken into account that children these days tend to want to sit in front of the television instead of do something involving exercise, and parents, for the most part, do nothing to stop it. So, as I said, I agree.

Also, I eat chocolate cake for breakfast all the time, and have never heard of anyone putting sprinkles on a pancake before. Let it be noted I am 5’11 135lb.. nowhere near “obese”.