Energy drinks can mask the effects of alcohol consumed, and the caffeine can help make you feel more alert. Without realizing it, you may already be drunk when you get into your car and drive home.
Australian National University’s Center for Research on Aging, Health and Well-Being in Canberra conducted a study on mixing energy drinks with alcohol, and their findings showed that mixing the two resulted in intense cravings for even more alcohol.
The Australian National University’s study also showed that taurine, inositol, and other sugary additives contained in energy drinks might be a significant factor in increasing an individual’s urge to drink even more alcohol. According to one of the study’s authors, the findings show that energy drinks may encourage people to drink to the point of intoxication, which subsequently increases the risk of drunk driving episodes.
Mixing energy drinks and alcohol do not reduce an individual’s drunkenness, but only reduce his or her symptoms of drunkenness. It therefore becomes extremely difficult for people to tell whether or not they are sober enough to get behind the wheel or determine whether or not their ride home is sober enough to drive. This can greatly contribute to the risk of poor choices, drunk driving accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
Source: Article by Paula Mejia, published at www.newsweek.com