Caffeinated Cocktails: Energy Drink Consumption, High-risk Drinking, and Alcohol-related Consequences among College Students

Moral of the story: If you mix booze and energy drinks, as with a red bull and vodka, you are more likely to do something stupid and get hurt.

Caffeinated Cocktails: Energy Drink Consumption, High-risk Drinking, and Alcohol-related Consequences among College Students
Mary Claire O'Brien, MD, Thomas P. McCoy, MS, Scott D. Rhodes, PhD, Ashley Wagoner, BS, Mark Wolfson, PhD
From the Departments of Emergency Medicine (MCO), Social Sciences and Health Policy (MCO, SDR, AW, MW), Biostatistical Sciences (TPM), and Pediatrics (MW), Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.
Correspondence to Mary Claire O'Brien, MD; e-mail: mobrien@wfubmc.edu.

Objectives: The consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) is popular on college campuses in the United States. Limited research suggests that energy drink consumption lessens subjective intoxication in persons who also have consumed alcohol. This study examines the relationship between energy drink use, high-risk drinking behavior, and alcohol-related consequences.
Methods: In Fall 2006, a Web-based survey was conducted in a stratified random sample of 4,271 college students from 10 universities in North Carolina.
Results: A total of 697 students (24% of past 30-day drinkers) reported consuming AmED in the past 30 days. Students who were male, white, intramural athletes, fraternity or sorority members or pledges, and younger were significantly more likely to consume AmED. In multivariable analyses, consumption of AmED was associated with increased heavy episodic drinking (6.4 days vs. 3.4 days on average; p < p =" 0.027).">Conclusions: Almost one-quarter of college student current drinkers reported mixing alcohol with energy drinks. These students are at increased risk for alcohol-related consequences, even after adjusting for the amount of alcohol consumed. Further research is necessary to understand this association and to develop targeted interventions to reduce risk.
Academic Emergency Medicine: Volume 15, Issue 5, Pages 453-460.