Mixing alcohol with energy drinks changes risk perception more than with alcohol alone, study finds.
Alcohol loses sight of the notion of risk. Hence the many accidents recorded in alcoholic people in the context of occasional intoxication or during repeated use – injuries, road accidents, falls … But this perception would be even more altered when alcohol is mixed with a energy drink, according to a Canadian meta-analysis published in the journal Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
The work focused on 10 studies conducted between 1981 and 2016, all of which demonstrate an increased risk of injury when consuming alcohol mixed with an energy drink, compared to consuming alcohol alone. The authors distinguished unintentional injuries (falls, traffic accidents, etc.) from intentional injuries (fights or other physical violence).
Hide fatigue
“Usually, when you drink alcohol, you end up getting tired and going home,” commented the authors, from the University of Victoria (British Columbia). But energy drinks, because of the stimulating effect of caffeine, mask the state of fatigue, which can lead to underestimating your alcohol level, staying outside longer, consuming more alcohol and to behave at risk ”.
According to the authors, consumers should be aware of the biased perception they develop after drinking these popular cocktails in Canada. Stores that sell alcohol now distribute pre-mixed drinks and Vodka-RedBull has never been so popular, they are alarmed. A concern that we find in France among young people fond of “energy drinks”.
Strong sensations, increased risks
Among the studies analyzed by the researchers, three looked at the link between risk-taking or thrill-seeking, and injuries generated after a mixture of alcohol and energy drink.
“Some work suggests that people with these personality traits might prefer a stimulating intoxication, which can be achieved with these cocktails. This population could be even more at risk of injury ”. In fact, previous work has shown that this mixture causes effects similar to cocaine, consumed precisely for its stimulating effects.
However, the authors could not calculate the increased risk associated with the addition of energy drinks in alcohol, due to a lack of sufficient and robust data. Most of the work reported very different results, explain the researchers, astonished by this scientific vacuum. Two other studies will be carried out to confirm these results.
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