The New Trend of Mixing Alcohol with Popular Energy Drinks Is a Dangerous Fad That Places Drinkers and Others at Risk

People who combine alcohol and energy drinks like Red Bull and Rockstar are three times more likely than alcohol-only drinkers to leave a bar drunk and are four times more likely to drive drunk, according to a recent University of Florida study.

The University of Florida researchers studied people leaving bars and found that:

• 6.5% had drunk alcohol-energy drink combos.
• 6.6% had drunk energy drinks and alcohol, but not mixed together.
• 86% had drunk alcohol only.
• The average breath alcohol reading for those who drank energy cocktails was 0.109, higher than the legal driving limit of 0.08. The average breath alcohol concentration for those who had alcohol only was 0.081.
• Those who combined alcohol and energy drinks drank for longer periods of time.
• Patrons drinking energy cocktails left bars later than those who drank alcohol only.

A Wake Forest University School of Medicine Study produced similar findings. Researchers in that study found that college students who mixed energy drinks and alcohol were twice as likely to be hurt or injured, twice as likely to require medical attention, and twice as likely to ride with an intoxicated driver. The study also found that students who drank alcohol mixed with energy drinks were more than twice as likely to take advantage of someone else sexually and almost twice as likely to be taken advantage of.

What researchers are finding is that the combination of energy drinks and alcohol creates wide-awake drunks who are less likely to appreciate their level of intoxication. They have a tendency to drink more, drink longer, and have higher blood alcohol levels.

The trend is significant enough that it caused several state attorney generals to co-sign a letter to the FDA asking for an investigation of caffeine-infused alcoholic beverages.

For a more comprehensive report on the risks of mixing energy drinks and alcohol, see the report “Alcohol, Energy Drinks and Youth: A Dangerous Mix” by the Marin Institute.

As skilled Erie injury lawyers who have helped injured clients and their families with injuries resulting from accidents with drunk drivers, we understand how to evaluate these cases and we know how to help you obtain the funds necessary to pay for medical care, for lost wages, and to make up for other losses.

Call Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. today, toll free at 814-273-2010, to schedule your free and confidential consultation.