Mixing caffeine-loaded energy drinks and booze could be a recipe for trouble, according to a new study that says the popular party duo ups the odds someone will get hurt.
Researchers in Canada analyzed results of 13 prior studies. Most reported a higher rate of injuries when alcohol was paired with an energy drink like Red Bull or Monster Energy compared to drinking alcohol alone, they said.
“Current research generally supports a relationship between consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks and an increased risk of injury,” said study lead author Audra Roemer, a graduate student with the University of Victoria in British Columbia.
Besides falls, car accidents and such, the researchers looked at suicidal behavior and violence. Based on the study results, Roemer said injury risk — intentional or accidental — could be several times higher for the combination drinker.
“The stimulant effects of the caffeine in energy drinks can work to mask the sedative effects of alcohol, although energy drinks don’t lessen the impairing effects of alcohol on the body and brain,” Roemer said. “This could result in people underestimating their level of intoxication.”
Prepackaged caffeinated alcohol drinks are essentially banned in the U.S. and Canada. But you can buy the components separately “and mix them yourselves in a glass,” a trend that became popular about 10 years ago, said Northern Kentucky University professor Cecile Marczinski, who studies alcohol use.
Emergency department visits involving energy drinks nearly doubled between 2007 and 2011, with roughly 15 percent of these visits related to combination alcohol-energy drink use, the study authors said in background notes.
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