By
Daniel Scarpinato
Arizona Summer Wildcat
Despite three deaths in Sweden, UA students are still drinking the high-energy drink
UA students are still shelling out their cash for Red Bull, an expensive new high endurance energy drink, despite the deaths of three people in Sweden who died after consuming the beverage.
Two of the people who died had also been mixing the drink with vodka - a beverage that has become popular at many bars.
Mike Case, a manager at the Wildcat House, 1801 N. Stone Ave., said he has not seen or heard of any complications surrounding the drink, but he added that the club does not sell very many cans of Red Bull.
"It's pretty expensive," he said. "I was pretty surprised."
Case said the Wildcat House only purchases a few cases a month.
"We see mostly college students," he said. "The drink is two dollars in addition to the vodka."
Elizabeth Baskett, a family studies senior, drinks Red Bull and vodka a couple times a week, but said she does not see it as dangerous.
"The cost of Red Bull limits me from drinking it more often," she said.
Courtney Canning, a sociology sophomore, said that while she doesn't drink Red Bull very much because of its expensive cost, she occasionally indulges to stay awake at night.
"I figured that because Red Bull is sold everywhere, it was relatively safe," Canning said.
The drink, which can also be found in any supermarket or convenience store, was developed in Austria in the 1980s and swept across Europe before making its debut in the U.S. a few years ago.
Case said the Red Bull distributors do not give out any kind of warning with the product about consuming it with alcohol.
"I have not seen any literature," he said.
Dennis Arnold, owner of Gentle Ben's Brewing Company, 865 E. University Blvd., said his bar has seen an increase in the popularity of the energy drink they use, Rock Star, with vodka.
However, Arnold said that as far as he knows there have not been any cases of people getting ill from consuming the mixture.
He added that on a trip to Austria several years ago, he found out Red Bull abroad was stronger than the American beverage.
The Red Bull website alludes to this.
"The specification of the contents differs from country to country according to the different laws and regulations," their official statement reads.
The company also boasts the safety of the product.
A spokeswoman for Red Bull defended the energy drink in a press conference last week.
"There had been rigorous scientific testing even before the drink came on the market," she said.
Despite this, the Swedish National Food Administration has launched a full investigation into the drink, and for the time being a warning about the drink has been issued.
