Pitfalls of energy drinks mixes
MIXING caffeine-loaded energy drinks and booze could be a recipe for trouble. That’s the word from a new study that says the popular party duo ups the odds that someone will get hurt.
Researchers in Canada analysed results of 13 previous studies. Most reported a higher rate of injuries when alcohol was paired with an energy drink like Red Bull or Monster Energy compared to drinking alcohol alone, they said.
“Current research generally supports a relationship between consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks and an increased risk of injury,” said study lead author Audra Roemer, a graduate student at the University of Victoria in British Columbia.
Besides falls, car accidents and such, the researchers looked at suicidal behaviour and violence. Based on the study results, Roemer said the risk of injury – intentional or accidental – could be several times higher for the combination drinker.
“The stimulant effects of the caffeine in energy drinks can work to mask the sedative effects of alcohol, although energy drinks don’t lessen the impairing effects of alcohol on the body and brain,” Roemer said.
“This could result in people underestimating their level of intoxication .” Blending alcohol and highly caffeinated drinks became popular about 10 years ago, said Cecile Marczinski, who studies alcohol use. She is a professor of psychology at Northern Kentucky University.
“It’s a young person’s drink,” said Marczinski, who wasn’t involved in the study. It’s often available in bars and restaurants as a mix of, say, vodka and Red Bull or Monster Energy, she said.
The results aren’t always pretty. Emergency department visits involving energy drinks nearly doubled between 2007 and 2011, with roughly 15% of these visits related to combination alcohol-energy drink use, the study authors said.
Marczinski said her team had found that, while people may feel more alert when they combine alcohol and caffeine, their perception did not match up with reality.
All but five of the 13 studies reviewed by Roemer and her co-author, University of Victoria professor Tim Stockwell, were from the US. All examined links between caffeinated alcoholic drinks and injuries, unsafe driving/vehicle accidents or suicidal thoughts. Ten of the studies linked a higher rate of injuries to drinking the alcohol/energy drink duo versus drinking alcohol alone. But, it’s not clear how often these injuries occur.
To avoid the potential dangers, Marczinski suggests that people don’t drink alcohol and energy drinks at the same time.
The study appears in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. – New York Times