Interestingly, when the mice exposed to alcohol and caffeine became adults, they were less sensitive to the euphoric effects of cocaine. The protein has been described as a molecular switch for addiction because it’s typically elevated in those who are abusing drugs such as cocaine or morphine. The study, which used adolescent mice as its test subjects, found elevated levels of a protein called ΔFosB (DeltaFosB) in the brains of the mice that were fed caffeinated alcohol. “We’re clearly seeing effects of the combined drinks that we would not see if drinking one or the other.” “It seems the two substances together push them over a limit that causes changes in their behavior and changes the neurochemistry in their brains,” Richard van Rijn, an assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology who spearheaded the research at Purdue University, said in a press release. In 2015, more than one-third of young adults consumed alcohol with energy drinks. Some research even suggests that mixing energy drinks and alcohol can trigger changes in the adolescent brain that mimic the effects of taking cocaine. Researchers at the University of Florida found that college-aged people who consume energy drink cocktails are four times more likely to drive drunk than those who don’t. Mixing energy drinks and alcohol is also linked to risky sexual behavior, drunk driving and riding as the passenger of an intoxicated driver, studies show. Energy drinks often contain other supplements, such as guarana, ginseng and taurine, which may also impact the central nervous system.ĭrinkers between the ages of 15 and 23 who combine alcohol and energy drinks are four times more likely to binge drink at a high intensity than those who don’t mix alcohol and energy drinks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ĭollege students who consume energy drinks on a regular basis have a greater risk of developing an alcohol addiction and other types of substance use disorders, according to research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. While the risks of mixing drugs and alcohol may seem obvious, many people forget that caffeine is a stimulant drug. As a result, “people may underestimate how intoxicated they are, end up staying out later, consume more alcohol and engage in risky behavior and more hazardous drinking practices.” A Hazardous Mix for Adolescents and Young Adults “Usually when you’re drinking alcohol, you get tired and you go home,” Roemer said, but large amounts of caffeine can disguise those sedating effects. ![]() “The stimulant effects of caffeine mask the result that most people get when they drink,” said Audra Roemer, a Canadian researcher who has studied the risks associated with caffeine cocktails. ![]() While people seem to enjoy the party-all-night stamina they get from combining a caffeinated energy drink with alcohol, experts say the mixture creates a different and dangerous type of intoxication in people sometimes referred to as “wide awake drunk.” ![]() Richard van Rijn, assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology, Purdue University “It seems the two substances together push them over a limit that causes changes in their behavior and changes the neurochemistry in their brains.” In 2015, more than one-third of young adults between the ages of 19 and 28 said they’d consumed alcohol with energy drinks, and 13 percent of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders have drunk alcohol and energy drinks together.īut a growing body of evidence shows that spiking your Red Bull with vodka can be dangerous and even deadly. Mixing alcohol with energy drinks is a common practice in the United States, especially among young people.
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