Read this article in English.Texas Athletics discontinues its sponsorship of health drinks and takes them down from their website.
Editor’s note: this artwork was first published on July 3, 2025, by Teresa Do and Isaiah Williams, and Bruno Fernandez translated it into Spanish.
While working near the UT campus, Ethan Hogan, a technician in maintenance, came upon announcements with small bottles. The advertisements promote Feel Free, a supplement beverage sold by Botanic Tonics, which is marketed as a natural substitute and a response by science to addictive substances like coffee and stimulants.
“I’m going to try to find them in every store I visit,” Hogan said. The advertisements drew my attention since they were like large inflable bottles or stamps in the marketplace.
The company announced three corporate sponsorships with Longhorns Sports Properties, which oversees Texas Athletics’ trademarks. The agreement allowed Botanic Tonics to enter the market and provide Feel Free at Texas Athletics events. Nevertheless, Texas Athletics discreetly ended the agreement and fired the team at the end of the previous season.
Hogan is investigating Feel Free and abog in order to delete the list’s patrocinio. In a correo electrónico, Lucas Motta, vice president of Longhorn Sports Properties, stated that the company will hold all of its associations with Botanic Tonics until the end of June.
The suspension of the patent is the result of national criticism and a collective demand accusing Botanic Tonics of improperly marketing the beverage while ignoring its addictive qualities. The company complies with the demand by paying about nine million dollars.
The main focus of the allegations is kratom, a substance made from leftover sudeste asi tico flowers and one of the main ingredients in Feel Free. According to the Administration of Drugs and Medicines, kratom adheres to parts of the brain in a manner akin to that of opioids, such as the code na. Hogan stated that they contacted Longhorn Sports Properties because they were concerned about the addictive properties of the beverage.
“I was emotionally attached to this thing,” Hogan said. For this reason, I am sending all of the electronic correspondences because, if the people discover what is truly there, they will not be able to tolerate it.
In a communication about the potential side effects of the beverage, Botanic Tonics stated that the bottles contain a warning that the product may become addictive if used carelessly and that the company should limit its sales to those under the age of 21.
We are committed to understanding not only the effects of our products but also the underlying mechanisms, said Ramsey Atallah, director of Botanic Tonics’ scientific finance department. Our goal is to develop products that are not just aesthetically pleasing but also supported by rigorous science.
In 2023, the company will deliver Feel Free bottles during a Longhorn Run, according to The Guardian. Claire Zagorski, a postgraduate researcher at Farmacia School, stated that she and other colleagues were alerted to the suspense.
After drinking the beverage, the participants left the Longhorn Run believing they were having a really good corredor, Zagorski said. After that, they realized that this would take a lot of time.
Zagorski asserts that kratom may help people stop abusing drugs like fentanilo or other prescription opioids, but he is concerned about the company’s transparency on the medication that the drug contains.
“I don’t think there are any harmful drugs,” Zagorski said. There are medications that are being used inappropriately. To do this, we must be truthful with our etiquette.
