After soft drinks and coffee, energy drinks have emerged as the newest caffeine-containing beverage designed to perk you up when you needed an instant, although temporary, energy boost. It wasn't too long before energy drinks began to appear at bars, being combined with alcoholic beverages or even pre-packaged as alcoholic energy drinks. This combination can have harmful side effects, however, by further impairing your judgment when drinking.
Stimulates the Nervous System
While caffeine is one of the main stimulants in energy drinks, it is not the only one. Taurine, glucose and ginseng are just a few of the substances added to energy drinks. When consumed in combination with caffeine, these ingredients have a stimulant effect on the body. Although alcohol is a stimulant when first consumed, it quickly turns into a nervous system depressant. This is why the stimulant/depressant effect of the alcohol and energy drink combination can be dangerous. Because of the energy drink, the alcohol does not depress the nervous system. This can trick a person into believing she has not had too much to drink when she actually has.
Increased Alcohol Dependence
Drinking energy drinks with or without alcohol has been shown to increase alcohol dependence in college students, according to Amelia Arria, PhD, a director of the Center on Young Adult Health and Development at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, interviewed on Health.com. Because energy drinks can mask the effects of alcohol, making a person believe he can drink more, he may be more likely to drink excessively and establish patterns of alcohol abuse and dependence.
Increases Injury Risk
A Wake Forest University School of Medicine study presented at the 2007 annual American Public Health Association in Washington, D.C., looked at 4,000 college students from 10 colleges. Students were given a 300-question survey about alcohol and energy drink consumption. The researchers found that students mixing energy drinks and alcohol were twice as likely to become hurt or injured while intoxicated, require medical attention and ride with an intoxicated driver. Researchers found that students drinking alcohol and energy drinks were less likely to be aware they were intoxicated than those drinking alcohol alone.
FDA Warning
In November 2010, the United States Food & Drug Administration issued letters to four companies that combined alcohol and caffeine into one drink. The letters warned the manufacturers that adding caffeine was a harmful additive when mixed with alcohol. "Consumers should avoid these caffeinated alcoholic beverages, which do not meet the FDA's standards for safety," said Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, the FDA's principal deputy commissioner in a statement on the FDA's website. The FDA cited concerns about the effects of mixing alcohol and caffeine, including increased risk of alcohol poisoning and sexual assault.
References
- Medpage Today; Medical News: Alcohol and Energy Drinks, a Risky Combination; Charles Bankhead; April 2011
- "Time"; A Bad Mix: Why Alcohol and Energy Drinks Are Dangerous; Alice Park; April 2011
- Fox News; Alcohol, Caffeinated Energy Drinks Dangerous Mix, Study Says; November 2007
- Health.com; Energy Drinks Linked to Alcohol Problems; Amanda Gardner; 2011
- FDA.gov; Serious Concerns Over Alcoholic Beverages with Added Caffeine; November 2010
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