Today, more and more people are catching on to the trend of drinking alcohol mixed with energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster, AMP Energy, NOS, and Rockstar. Some believe that mixing alcohol and energy drinks means being able to drink more, stay up later, and being more alert to get behind the wheel.
However, numerous studies show that the effects of combining energy drinks with alcohol can actually be dangerous. The blend of alcohol and energy drinks makes the drinker believe that he or she is sober, when he or she is actually already intoxicated.
While it’s true that the caffeine found in energy drinks is a stimulant, alcohol is a depressant. Combining the two excessively may send the body mixed signals, and the risk of you driving under the influence becomes much higher.
According to a University of Florida Study, college students who mix alcoholic energy-drink cocktails are thrice as likely to become drunk, and four times more likely to drive while drunk. Chances are also higher that these students will engage in other risky behaviors, such as riding home with someone who is drunk.
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
