Energy Cocktails Potentially More Harmful Than Just Alcohol

A new study conducted among students in the US has revealed the potential risk involved in mixing alcohol with energy drinks. The study, conducted among more than 4,000 students, revealed those who mixed alcohol with energy drinks were two times more likely to be harmed than those who didn’t.

The study, which involved an online survey, was conducted by researchers from Wake Forest University of North Carolina. In the survey, the participating students had to answer questions related to their drinking habits.

According to the results of the study, people who drank cocktails of alcohol and energy drinks ran a greater risk of needing medical assistance, injuring themselves, and also having trouble over matters related to sex. The report said this was because the energy drinks shielded the feeling of being drunk that usually came with alcohol consumption.

More and more youngsters nowadays like to drink energy drink cocktails. The preferred energy drink cocktails usually contain a vodka mix. The energy drinks generally contain different kinds of stimulants, including ginseng. They also have high caffeine content.

The study had as its subjects 4,271 students, and the results that the researchers unearthed were startling. One fourth of the total number of students surveyed, who said they had consumed alcohol over the past one month, were found to have had energy cocktails. These students were more likely to suffer problems than those students who drank just alcohol.

Students from the one-fourth bracket mentioned above, i.e. those who drank energy cocktails, had two times more chances of getting hurt and needing medical help than those who drank just alcohol. The probability of these students moving with drunk drivers was also two times that in those who didn’t drink the energy cocktails.

The energy cocktail drinkers were also likely to face problems in other areas as well. The risk of these students being exploited sexually by others and also exploiting others in return was also twice as high. These students were also found to drink 36% more and had reported two times more chances of getting drunk during the week than others.

The results of the study have thrown up a few surprises. Dr. Mary Claire O’Brien, the lead researcher for the study, said the fact that mixing alcohol with energy drinks had such high risk consequences had taken the research team by surprise.

Dr. Mary said the risks were more because while the alcohol hampered judgment, motor skills, and visual reaction times of the students, they were not able to realize the extent of the influence of alcohol on their bodies, as the energy drinks acted as a shield. She said there should be awareness campaigns among students to make them aware of the potential risks involved with consuming energy cocktails.