Despite new federal rules Feds reject proposal to sell energy drinks in pharmacies only By Lee Richardson CUP Ontario Bureau Chief TORONTO (CUP) — Students won’t be forced to visit a pharmacy to buy energy drinks after certain proposed regulations were recently turned down by the federal government, though consumers will see some smaller changes to familiar products over the next couple of years. Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkag announced on Oct. 6 new regulations surrounding the creation and sale of energy drinks across the country — though the products will still be available in the same stores in which consumers can currently find them. The initial recommendation to restrict the sale of energy drinks to pharmacies originated from a Health Canada expert panel that issued a report that also suggested energy drinks should be renamed “stimulant drug containing drinks.” “T think the question is not ‘Should these be sold on university campuses?’ but ‘How should they be sold?’” said . Toronto Public Health dietitian Didem Hi Varol. “There’s pretty much enough consensus out there to say, ‘Look, this is something that we should take with caution, so if we’re going to offer these on campuses, what can we do to make sure that harm is minimized to students?’” Despite the rejection of the panel’s initial pharmacy-sale recommendations, Health Canada has passed new regulations that will limit the amount of caffeine in energy drinks to 180 mg in a single serving. As the government’s decision now considers energy drinks as foods instead of natural health products, new labels indicating nutritional information are now required. Warnings highlighting the health concerns of mixing the drinks with alcohol will also have to be present. “Tt might be wise to not let them be sold in bars because that seems to be the big problem,” suggested Ryerson University early childhood education student Meagan Salsbury. “If they’re that concerned, I think it would make more sense to make them [only available to those] 18 and over, like cigarettes.” Labels will also have to indicate the amount of caffeine in the product. The new regulation of energy drinks as a food means that they can be subjected to stricter government rulings. “To really consider it as a drug and to treat it the same way is, I think, a bit ludicrous,” said Ryerson early childhood education student Thomas De Mayo, referring to the initial Health Canada recommendations. “It’s technically correct, but it’s like saying that doughnuts are a drug because it has sugar and sugar affects you.” The new regulations also dictate that the companies that produce energy drinks will have to let Health Canada know of any consumer complaints regarding their drinks, as well as provide more information around the sale and consumption of the drinks. “T get where they’re coming from, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” said Ryerson business management student Anthony Volpe. “It’s consumers that are doing it wrong, not the producers or the sellers — so the regulation is smart.” Energy drink companies will be expected to meet the new federal regulations over the next 18 to 24 months. New club at Douglas paints campus red By Maria Asselin-Roy, Staff Reporter ouglas offers a club for practically everyone; there are clubs for mathematics, politics, the environment, you name it. But what about something to clear the stress away, that involves exercising and shooting (but not harming!) your fellow students? For a time, Douglas didn’t have a club like this. So, on September 14", Alan Radziwil successfully chartered the Douglas College Paintball Club. Radziwil, the founder and president of the club, has been promoting the paintball club mainly at the David Lam campus, however there is also a club posting with the ability to join on Douglife. The paintball club has only been around for a few weeks, and in such a short time, the club already has 55 members, with more and more coming in. “The group has just exploded so far,” Radziwil says. “We are hoping to get a few more people so that we can set up an event . for the end of the month.” Currently, there is no limit for the number of students who can join. Since the club has just began, there have been no meetings or events as of yet. Down the road, Radziwil says that there will be some meetings in order to see how many students are interested in participating in paintball events. The club will most likely be playing both bush and indoor paintball. “Due to the fact that we live in beautiful British Columbia, most weekends it will be raining, and having the opportunity to play indoor paintball is great,” Radziwil says. The cost of the game will differ between each student. Radziwil is working on costs with different paintball fields to see if he can get student discounts. Normally, the game costs between $50 to $60 for 100 paintballs and rental gear. So far, Radziwil has managed to find places that offer 50 per cent discounts for students in the club. “When you’ re getting stressed about school, exams, relationships, work, and things like that, it’s great because not only are you getting your adrenaline fix for the week, but time flies when you’re playing the game.” Like any club Douglas offers, the paintball club is great for meeting new people. Many of the clubs at Douglas are school related, because of this Radziwil says that “students might want something that doesn’t make them think about school. We spend so much time at school, doing homework and studying, on the weekends students should try to have fun... and this is a totally different way for students to have fun.” To join, students can contact Alan Radziwil either at David Lam or through the Douglife clubs and organizations web page. There is no entrance fee, so if you are looking to try something new while meeting new people, give the paintball club a try!