College students who routinely consume highly caffeinated energy drinks have a higher risk of becoming alcohol-dependent.
Some students consume the unregulated energy drinks so they can stay awake and study. Others mix them with alcohol, which can cause an impaired state described as being wide-awake drunk.
Researchers looked at data collected from a survey of 1,097 seniors enrolled at a large public American university. The researchers did not focus on the alcohol-containing caffeinated drinks. Rather, they examined the potential relationship between routine drinking of non-alcoholic energy drinks that contain high amounts of caffeine (50 milligrams to 500 milligrams per can) and consumption patterns of alcoholic drinks. They asked the participants about their drinking habits over the 12 previous months, and found that about 10 percent had consumed energy drinks like Red Bull on more than 52 days (more than once a week), and were deemed high-frequency drinkers. These high-frequency drinkers drank alcohol more often during the prior year than low-frequency drinkers (those consuming energy drinks less than 51 days per year (or less than once a week). The high-frequency group registered 142 days of alcohol consumption, versus 103 days among the low-frequency group.
Compared with the low-frequency pool of students, the high-frequency energy drinkers got drunk at a younger age and drank more alcohol per session: more than six drinks a day compared with fewer than five drinks a day. After accounting for potentially contributing factors, such as family history of alcohol and drug use, fraternity/sorority participation, risk-taking behaviour, depression and childhood conduct problems, the researchers determined that consuming energy drinks weekly or daily is strongly associated with alcohol dependence. While the study found an association between energy drinks and alcohol consumption, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
The researchers believed that when teens drink energy drinks and alcohol, they prolong alcohol consumption and drink past the point of intoxication because they’re awake longer, which leads to bad consequences. Also, people who are alcohol-dependent turn to energy drinks to get over their hangovers.
The one thing that's important to know about these energy drinks is that these are substances and are prone to abuse, like any substance. It's also important to know that most people who abuse one substance abuse another. Therefore, public education efforts and regulations are needed, the researchers concluded.