Are energy drinks unique mixers in terms of their effects on alcohol consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences?

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Abstract

Introduction

Previous research has suggested that consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AMED) increases overall alcohol consumption. However, there is limited research examining whether energy drinks are unique in their effects when mixed with alcohol, when compared with alcohol mixed with other caffeinated mixers (AOCM). Therefore, the aim of this survey was to investigate alcohol consumption on AMED occasions, to that on other occasions when the same individuals consumed AOCM or alcohol only (AO).

Methods

A UK-wide online student survey collected data on the frequency of alcohol consumption and quantity consumed, as well as the number of negative alcohol-related consequences reported on AO, AMED and AOCM occasions (N=250).

Results

Within-subjects analysis revealed that there were no significant differences in the number of alcoholic drinks consumed on a standard and a heavy drinking session between AMED and AOCM drinking occasions. However, the number of standard mixers typically consumed was significantly lower on AMED occasions compared with AOCM occasions. In addition, when consuming AMED, students reported significantly fewer days consuming 5 or more alcohol drinks, fewer days mixing drinks, and fewer days being drunk, compared with when consuming AOCM. There were no significant differences in the number of reported negative alcohol-related consequences on AMED occasions to AOCM occasions. Of importance, alcohol consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences were significantly less on both AMED and AOCM occasions compared with AO occasions.

Conclusion

The findings that heavy alcohol consumption occurs significantly less often on AMED occasions compared with AOCM occasions is in opposition to some earlier claims implying that greatest alcohol consumption occurs with AMED. The overall greatest alcohol consumption and associated negative consequences were clearly associated with AO occasions. Negative consequences for AMED and AOCM drinking occasions were similar, suggesting that energy drink was comparable with AOCM in this regard.

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Most cited references 43

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Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in studies of substance use.

Saul Shiffman (2009)

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is particularly suitable for studying substance use, because use is episodic and thought to be related to mood and context. This article reviews EMA methods in substance use research, focusing on tobacco and alcohol use and relapse, where EMA has been most applied. Common EMA designs combine event-based reports of substance use with time-based assessments. Approaches to data organization and analysis have been very diverse, particularly regarding their treatment of time. Compliance with signaled assessments is often high. Compliance with recording of substance use appears good but is harder to validate. Treatment applications of EMA are emerging. EMA captures substance use patterns not measured by questionnaires or retrospective data and holds promise for substance use research.

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Magnitude of alcohol-related mortality and morbidity among U.S. college students ages 18-24.

Henry Wechsler, R Hingson, A Kopstein … (2002)

This report estimates the numbers of 18-24 year old United States college students who annually experience alcohol-related deaths, injuries and other health problems. We examined traffic and unintentional injury deaths in 1998 reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). We also examined results of national coroner studies, Department of Education college enrollment data, the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), the CDC National College Health Risk Behavior Survey and the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Survey (CAS). All survey participants were ages 18-24: 6,930 college and 12,394 noncollege respondents in the NHSDA survey; 3,077 college students in the CDC survey; and 12,217 full-time 4-year college students in the CAS. Based on the number and proportion of 18-24 year olds enrolled in college, data on alcohol involvement in injury deaths among 18-24 year olds and survey responses, we calculated the numbers of 18-24 year old alcohol-related injury deaths and other health problems. We estimate that over 1,400 students aged 18-24 and enrolled in 2- and 4-year colleges died in 1998 from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes. According to surveys conducted in 1999, in the preceding year, over 2 million of the 8 million college students in the United States drove under the influence of alcohol and over 3 million rode with a drinking driver. Over 500,000 full-time 4-year college students were unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol and over 600,000 were hit or assaulted by another student who had been drinking. There is an urgent need for expanding prevention and treatment programs, to reduce alcohol-related harm among U.S. college students and other young adults.

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Energy drink consumption and increased risk for alcohol dependence.

J. Kasperski, John Vincent, K Caldeira … (2011)

Energy drinks are highly caffeinated beverages that are increasingly consumed by young adults. Prior research has established associations between energy drink use and heavier drinking and alcohol-related problems among college students. This study investigated the extent to which energy drink use might pose additional risk for alcohol dependence over and above that from known risk factors. Data were collected via personal interview from 1,097 fourth-year college students sampled from 1 large public university as part of an ongoing longitudinal study. Alcohol dependence was assessed according to DSM-IV criteria. After adjustment for the sampling design, 51.3%(wt) of students were classified as "low-frequency" energy drink users (1 to 51 days in the past year) and 10.1%(wt) as "high-frequency" users (≥52 days). Typical caffeine consumption varied widely depending on the brand consumed. Compared to the low-frequency group, high-frequency users drank alcohol more frequently (141.6 vs. 103.1 days) and in higher quantities (6.15 vs. 4.64 drinks/typical drinking day). High-frequency users were at significantly greater risk for alcohol dependence relative to both nonusers (AOR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.27 to 4.56, p = 0.007) and low-frequency users (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.10, 3.14, p = 0.020), even after holding constant demographics, typical alcohol consumption, fraternity/sorority involvement, depressive symptoms, parental history of alcohol/drug problems, and childhood conduct problems. Low-frequency energy drink users did not differ from nonusers on their risk for alcohol dependence. Weekly or daily energy drink consumption is strongly associated with alcohol dependence. Further research is warranted to understand the possible mechanisms underlying this association. College students who frequently consume energy drinks represent an important target population for alcohol prevention. Copyright © 2010 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Int J Gen Med

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Int J Gen Med

Journal ID (publisher-id): International Journal of General Medicine

Title: International Journal of General Medicine

Publisher: Dove Medical Press

ISSN (Electronic): 1178-7074

Publication date Collection: 2018

Publication date (Electronic): 05 January 2018

Volume: 11

Pages: 15-23

Affiliations

[1 ]Department of Health and Social Sciences, Psychological Sciences Research Group, University of the West of England

[2 ]Department of Applied Sciences, Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

[3 ]Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht

[4 ]Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

[5 ]Center for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Author notes

Correspondence: Sean J Johnson, Department of Health and Social Sciences, Psychological Sciences Research Group, University of the West of England Coldharbour Lane, Frenchay Campus, BS16 1QY, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, UK, Tel +44 117 328 3812, Email Sean3.Johnson@ 123456uwe.ac.uk

Article

Publisher ID: ijgm-11-015

DOI: 10.2147/IJGM.S143476

PMC ID: 5759859

SO-VID: 8c0ee500-6d46-49f4-a139-1a51e516b9d4

License:

The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed.

Are energy drinks unique mixers in terms of their effects on alcohol consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences?

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Abstract

Introduction

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Conclusion

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The International Journal of Person Centered Medicine

Most cited references 43

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in studies of substance use.

Magnitude of alcohol-related mortality and morbidity among U.S. college students ages 18-24.

Energy drink consumption and increased risk for alcohol dependence.

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