There’s a growing trend among college students that has parents concerned. Kids are mixing energy drinks with alcohol. The purpose?  To allow them to drink more alcohol without becoming sleepy or tired. To add to the problem, several major drink manufacturers are developing alcoholic drinks containing caffeine – creating the ultimate alcohol energy drink to give young adults a buzz. The FDA has intervened by requiring manufacturers to prove the safety of these drinks, but it isn’t being aggressive enough to stop this disturbing trend even though they have never approved caffeine for use in alcoholic beverages. What are the dangers of mixing energy drinks with alcohol?

A study published in Behavior Neuroscience addressed this issue. Researchers gave mice various doses of alcohol and caffeine to see what effect it had on them mentally and physically. The problem is the caffeine kept the mice awake and alert, while the alcohol destroyed their ability to learn and to make decisions. The researchers concluded that in humans it’s likely that drinking energy alcohol drinks or mixing energy drinks with alcohol would reduce a person’s ability to safely function, yet keep them alert enough to think they’re still functional – a potentially ideally combination.

It’s not difficult to envision the consequences of teens drinking energy alcohol drinks. Alcohol reduces reaction time and judgment while caffeine creates a sense of alertness and false confidence – enabling the teen to think he or she can drive or do other tasks that they can’t do safely. In addition, teens who drink energy alcohol drinks or mix energy drinks with alcohol are able to consume more alcohol without feeling tired – increasing the risk of alcohol toxicity which, in extreme cases, can be fatal.

The two main ingredients in alcohol energy drinks are alcohol, and, of course, caffeine. Most also contain other ingredients including taurine, ginseng, guarana, gingko biloba, and l-carnitine. Other than the caffeine, guarana is the ingredient of most concern since it has caffeine-like effects which can increase heart rate and blood pressure – creating an additive effect with the caffeine. It’s an ingredient that’s often included in diet pills because of its stimulatory effect on metabolism. People who have heart problems, kidney problems, panic attacks, or anxiety disorders shouldn’t drink energy drinks containing caffeine or guarana.

The bottom line? Mixing energy drinks with alcohol is a growing trend that has inspired drink manufacturers to create energy alcohol drinks. It’s important to educate teens and young adults about the dangers of these drinks before they end up a statistic.