Dangers of Alcohol & Energy Drinks

According to an article by The Marion Institute, mixing energy drinks like Red Bull with alcohol such as vodka actually began in bars and nightclubs in Europe, and has since spread, becoming a popular practice among young people specifically. Although the appeal of mixing the two lies in the perceived ability to experience the pleasant effects of alcohol and sustain energy throughout the night, there are a number of dangers associated with consuming an alcohol and energy drink mixture.

Conflicts with Nervous System

• Combining the stimulant effects of energy drinks and the depressant effects of alcohol creates potential conflict in the body. Although the energy drink may provide a deceptive boost in awareness, the effects of the alcohol remain the same. This results in surpassing the body's alcohol intake limit, leading to impaired decision making and the risk of alcohol poisoning among other hazards. Furthermore, once the effects of the caffeine wear off, the alcohol in the body starts to become much more noticeable.

Cardiac Problems

• Ingesting stimulants like gensing and taurine that are present in most energy drinks is not a good idea when combined with the depressants found in alcohol. This leads to increased heart rate, higher blood pressure and palpitations. While these are occasional symptoms of drinking caffeine or energy drinks by themselves, adding alcohol to the mix adds to the risk for complications considerably.

Dehydration

• Because alcohol and energy drinks both have a tendency to cause dehydration individually, the effects are more severe when put together. The dehydration process happens in a much swifter manner when alcohol is mixed with energy drinks, creating potentially dangerous results. Additionally, while the energy drinks may lessen the perceived feeling of the alcohol intake for a brief time period, it will have worn off in a few hours. This produces hangovers that are much more powerful the next day, as dehydration plays a critical role in the effects of a hangover.

Impaired Decision Making

• While the alcohol alone have a negative effect on reasoning and decision making, a study of over 4,000 college students done by Dr. Mary Claire O'Brien, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Wake Forest University, indicated that the students who mixed alcohol and energy drinks were twice as likely to ride with someone under the influence or make other ill advised choices due to alcoholic consumption. These decisions did not occur as frequently with students who consumed alcohol without mixing it with energy drinks.