Brigham Young University made an announcement today stating that caffeinated beverages would now be allowed on campus. The school has been caffeine-free since the 1950’s, so this comes as a huge surprise to students.
In the FAQ describing the change, it said: “Until more recently, Dining Services rarely received requests for caffeinated soda. Consumer preferences have clearly changed and requests have become much more frequent,”
The LDS church clarified the change by saying, “Despite what was reported, the Church revelation spelling out health practices (Doctrine and Covenants 89) does not mention the use of caffeine. The Church’s health guidelines prohibits alcoholic drinks, smoking or chewing of tobacco, and “hot drinks” — taught by Church leaders to refer specifically to tea and coffee,”
BYU is also standing by its decision, saying that financial gain was not a motivation for the shift in policy, but rather, simply a decision based on consumer demand.
