Study: Mixing Alcohol With Energy Drinks Risky Combination

Winston-Salem, NC (AHN) - College students who drink a cocktail of alcohol mixed with energy drinks are more at risk from injury and other alcohol-induced consequences compared to those who just drink alcohol, according to study findings announced Sunday.

Results from the study, carried out by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, showed that students who drank alcohol mixed with energy drinks had twice the chance of being hurt or injured, requiring medical attention or riding with an intoxicated driver compared to those who drank alcohol which was not mixed with any energy drinks.

They were also more than twice as likely to take advantage of, or get taken advantage of, sexually.

The research team believes this could be because of high levels of caffeine in energy drinks which mask the effects of excess alcohol, such as slurred speech or sleepiness. It tricks people into thinking they have drunk less than they actually have.

The Canadian Press quotes lead author Dr. Mary Claire O'Brien saying: "What I would describe it as is a person for whom the symptoms of drunkenness are reduced, but the drunkenness is not. So you're drunk. But you just don't know that you're drunk."

The study was based on an Internet survey of 4,271 randomly selected students from 10 U.S. universities. They had to answer around 300 questions on health risk behavior with heavy focus on alcohol use.

24 percent of the respondents had consumed alcohol-laced energy drinks in previous 30 days. Consumption was higher among male, white, athletes, fraternity member or pledges, and those slightly older.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in Washington, D.C. Sunday.