Caffeine and alcohol are both legal, psychoactive drugs, and they are addictive. A psychoactive substance is one that has the power to alter mood and behavior. Caffeine is the most widely used self-administered drug in the world, ahead of alcohol, but alcohol abuse takes a greater physical and psychological toll on your body. Caffeine is present in many of the beverages and foods you may consume on a daily basis, including coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate and energy drinks. Alcoholic beverages not only include liquor, but also beer, wine, wine coolers and other fruity, flavorful, pre-mixed concoctions. Taken separately, each substance comes with a set of risks, which multiply and become more prevalent with abuse. Taken together, the risk of physical and psychological harm, up to and including death, increases greatly. If you abuse caffeine, alcohol, or both, consult your doctor.
Binge Drinking
Alcohol is a depressant drug because it inhibits central nervous system activity. You may think alcohol is a stimulant because it initially makes you feel more social and a bit euphoric. However, these effects are due to alcohol's depressant effect on parts of the brain responsible for judgment and self-control, and it impairs both cognitive and physical abilities. The more your blood alcohol level rises, the more impaired you will become, until you lose consciousness. Death occurs when the blood alcohol content rises to the point -- a minimum of 0.35 percent -- where the brain can no longer operate its respiratory control system.
For this reason, binge drinking is very dangerous. Binge drinking is classified as four or more drinks in a row for a woman, and five or more drinks in a row for a man. The body takes about one hour to metabolize the alcohol in one drink, which is equal to 1 ounce of 80-proof liquor. A comparable amount of alcohol is in a 12-ounce beer or 4 ounces of wine. Binge drinking does not allow the body to metabolize one drink before you take another, and blood alcohol content rises. This rapid rise in blood alcohol content severely impairs cognitive and physical abilities, which lead to incidences of aggressive behavior, sexual assault, property damage, accidents and potentially death. Alcohol is involved in 50 percent of highway fatalities, assaults and homicides, and two-thirds of spousal abuse and violent child abuse cases. Additionally, pregnancy and alcohol do not mix. Alcohol is the leading and only preventable cause of birth defects and cognitive and developmental disabilities.
Caffeine Abuse
For most people, low to moderate caffeine consumption is not a problem. Experts agree that people should consume no more than 100 to 200 milligrams of caffeine per day, which is the equivalent of one to two 5-ounce cups of regular coffee. More than 80 percent of Americans use caffeine at behaviorally-active doses, in the 200 to 300 milligram range, and experts agree that no one should consume more than 600 milligrams per day. Very high levels of caffeine result in caffeine intoxication, which can be fatal.
If you use caffeine to feel more awake and motivated, you may become addicted to caffeine. Once your body becomes accustomed to a certain level of caffeine, you require more of it to achieve the same results you did at lower doses. Consuming higher levels of caffeine may cause side effects that include rapid heartbeat or a beat with an uneven rhythm, nervousness and a jittery feeling, dizziness, an increase in blood pressure and an elevated blood glucose level. You may be more sensitive to caffeine and experience these symptoms at lower doses.
The good news is that there appear to be no long-term negative health implications associated with caffeine use, according to Dr. Rob van Dam of the Harvard School of Public Health. If caffeine bothers you, you may simply reduce or eliminate it from your diet. The primary concern with routine caffeine use is addiction, and you may experience withdrawal symptoms when you try to cut back or quit. Withdrawal signs include headache, irritability, lack of motivation, hot and cold flashes and flu-like symptoms.
Combining Caffeine and Binge Drinking
In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration effectively banned the sale of alcohol-laced energy drinks, pointing directly to the dangers of mixing the stimulant caffeine with the depressant alcohol. People who consumed the beverages -- particularly during binge drinking episodes -- gained a false sense of security that the caffeine in the drinks counteracted the alcohol, when in fact the stimulant served only to mask alcohol's intoxicating effects. The FDA describes this as a state of wide awake drunk, which contributes to motor vehicle crashes and assaults. The problem was particularly pronounced among young people, who tended to binge on the beverages to the point of alcohol poisoning, a potentially fatal condition.
In the May 2011 edition of the journal "Addictive Behaviors," researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee reported that people who drink alcohol with energy drinks are most likely to engage in hazardous drinking practices. In short, people who mix caffeine and alcohol may lack the judgment needed to understand that they are more intoxicated than they feel.
Prevention and Intervention
Your doctor -- or another medical or psychology professional -- is the best source for help if you misuse or abuse any drug, including caffeine and alcohol. You can probably kick the caffeine habit on your own, by gradually reducing the amount you consume every day. Avoid binge drinking, as it is a risky behavior with social, medical and legal ramifications. If you or someone you know is having difficulty controlling alcohol consumption, consult a medical professional. Support and additional information is available from Alcoholics Anonymous, which has local chapters and regular meetings throughout the United States and Canada.
References
- "Psychology, 4th ed."; Don H. Hockenbury and Sandra E. Hockenbury; 2006
- MedPage Today; FDA Cans Alcoholic Beverages that Contain Caffeine; Kristina Fiore; November 2010
- "American College of Neuropsychopharmacology"; Caffeine: A Drug of Abuse?; R. Griffiths and G. Mumford; 2000
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Medicines in My Home: Caffeine and Your Body
- Harvard School of Public Health; Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health; Dr. Rob van Dam
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: FDA Media Call, Caffeinated Alcohol Beverages
- "Addictive Behaviors"; Sociodemographic Correlates of Energy Drink Consumption With and Without Alcohol...; L. Berger, et al.; Dec. 2010
