A new study has suggested that mixing energy drinks with alcohol is riskier than just drinking alcohol alone.
Lead author of the study Megan Patrick from the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research said hey found that college students tended to drink more heavily and become more intoxicated on days they used both energy drinks and alcohol, compared to days they only used alcohol.
According to researchers, the public health implications include not only physical risks to individuals from blacking out and alcohol poisoning, for example, but also exposing the community to dangerous situations in which young adults may be "wide awake drunk" after a night of partying.
Patrick along with Jennifer Maggs of Penn State University analyzed data on 652 college students over a period of four semesters. During four two-week periods, the students answered questions every day about their consumption of energy drinks and alcohol, and about any negative consequences they experienced as a result-from having a hangover to getting into trouble.
"Our findings suggest that the use of energy drinks and alcohol together may lead to heavier drinking and more serious alcohol-related problems," Patrick said.
The study was published in the current issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.
