Alcohol and Energy Drinks: A Dangerous Combination

The popularity of mixed cocktails containing alcohol and energy drinks has exploded in the United States in the last several years. Cocktails such as the now-famous Vodka and Red Bull are being served at bars and nightclubs all across the country. Even traditionally “beer and wine” type of establishments now offer these beverages to cater to the younger crowd that generally orders them. And while the overall age of those who consume alcohol and energy drinks was initially between 19 and 22, this surging trend is quickly making its way into older demographics. But regardless of age, there seems to be a great deal of ignorance about the risks and dangers associated with alcohol and energy drinks. This must be corrected through a campaign of education because there are very real and potentially life-threatening consequences when these substances are mixed. Energy drinks are questionable enough without adding alcohol to them. This is because energy drinks like Monster and Red Bull are not regulated like normal food items. Instead, they are considered nutritional supplements are so are not bound by the same rules. To demonstrate why this is dangerous, the FDA allows for a maximum of 71mg of caffeine in any food item. Most sodas have far less than this. However, energy drinks have no upper limit and therefore some contain as much as 400mg of caffeine. As if the extremely high amount of caffeine wasn’t enough to deter anyone from drinking these beverages, they also contain a great deal of additional stimulants such as ginseng, guarana and taurine. These stimulants have been shown to cause severe complications of the liver, lungs, heart and kidneys. When combined with large doses of caffeine and sugar, it’s easy to see why energy drinks can be threatening to human health. From a psychoactive standpoint alcohol is the opposite of the stimulants found in energy drinks. Alcohol is a depressant that, contrary to popular belief, does not balance or “cancel out” the stimulant effects of energy drinks. The general theory offered by most people is that the combination of these two substances will permit a person to become intoxicated on alcohol while retaining all of their wits via the energy drink. However, it just doesn’t work like this. Instead, people who combine these substances remain very drunk but only think that they are not. This misconception and the very nature of stimulants can cause people to engage in unusually risky behavior. The consumption of alcohol and energy drinks is associated with increased incidences of assault and violent crime, drunk driving, risky or promiscuous sex, and generally dangerous behavior. This is further exacerbated by the fact that people between the ages of 19 and 22 are already more prone to these risks than older people. Several states have already taken action be enacting emergency legislation to ban the sale of alcohol and energy drinks. This is due in large part to the addictive nature of both alcohol and high doses of caffeine. If you or someone you care about is having difficulties because of alcohol and energy drinks, you can get help right now simply by picking up the phone.

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