Students Tired of Pill Promotion

VUWSA has drawn online backlash after advertising Nō Dōz caffeine pills on its social media for a fourth consecutive year. The promotions on Facebook and Instagram, urged students to “stay ALERT and WIDE AWAKE!”, during the academic year but it did not disclose the sponsorship, as required under Meta’s branded content policy. 

Instagram users reacted critically, with multiple calling the post “embarrassing.” One commenter wrote: “VUWSA why are we advertising caffeine pills again?... Doesn’t seem like you have students’ best interests at heart.”Another joked that the association should “just advertise recreational Ritalin next time.” 

Each Nō Dōz Plus pill contains 100 milligrams of caffeine, as does one Nō Dōz Awakener; the products are sold in packets of 24 and 100 respectively. By comparison, a 250-millileter can of Red Bull contains 80 milligrams of caffeine, while a 250-millilitre Monster contains 75 milligrams. 

The recommended safe limit for adults is around 400 milligrams of  caffeine per day. Consuming more can lead to  insomnia, heart palpations, headaches, and anxiety. At doses above roughly 1,200 milligrams, caffeine toxicity, while rare, can  cause seizures, nausea, shortness of breath, coma, and in some cases death. Often overlooked as a drug, caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive stimulant and can lead to dependence and withdrawal.

Because caffeine pills and powders are more concentrated, they can also be easier to overconsume. Four Nō Dōz pills can be swallowed in one mouthful; drinking five cans of Monster in quick succession is harder to manage.

VUWSA CEO Matthew Tucker disagrees with the distinction. “Fundamentally, do I think that there’s a difference between Nō Dōz and Redbull? No, I don’t,” he told Salient. “A can of energy drink is socially acceptable, but caffeine in the pill form is not. They’re the same”. 

Tucker, who oversees the advertising decisions for VUWSA, said he was aware of the online criticism, but wasn’t particularly concerned. “We’ve got a significant amount of social media presence, but this is a very small amount of people that have a concern,” he said. “Maybe it even helps drive engagement.”

The association currently restricts advertising for alcohol and tobacco. Tucker said he also chooses not to advertise bars—despite the potential revenue—unlike some other student associations. “I don’t trust our bars to act in the best interest of our students,” he said.

VUWSA’s Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) policy also prohibits advertising companies that fund Israel. “Last year we had a contract with a Coke associated entity that we turned down,” Tucker said. 

He noted that VUWSA’s financial situation often forces the organisation to accept advertising deals that other student associations might decline.  “VUWSA is the least funded student association in New Zealand, so we are driven to take on advertising we might not otherwise take because of our lack of funding,” he said. Limiting advertising further could come at a significant cost for the association, which—according to its most recent executive meeting—is on track for its most expensive year yet.

Any new policies limiting advertisers would be set by VUWSA’s student executive, which represents the student body. VUWSA Academic Vice-President Ethan Rogacion assured Salient that the association “ will continue to review our advertising policy to ensure that our advertising and commercial relationships align with our values and the interests of all students,” though he acknowledged that “we rely on other streams of income to help support the services, events and campaigns that we run.”

Without increased funding, the future of Nō Dōz pills four year promotional reign seems unlikely to be put to bed.