Volume 151, 1 June 2015, Pages 15–30
Highlights
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- Young adults who combine alcohol with energy drinks (AED) drink more and experience more related harm than other drinkers.
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- AED increases stimulation, offsets fatigue, and increases the urge to keep drinking relative to drinking alcohol alone.
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- AED does not change blood alcohol concentration, perceived intoxication or perceived impairment.
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- AED does not reverse alcohol-induced impairment on simple psychomotor tasks.
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- AED reduces alcohol-induced impairment on some but not all aspects of complex tasks.
Abstract
Background
In
response to concern about whether mixing caffeinated energy drinks with
alcohol (AED) increases alcohol consumption and related harm, and the
role of industry in this debate, we conducted a comprehensive review of
the research evidence on the effects of AED and documented industry
involvement in this research.
Method
A
systematic review of 6 databases. Studies must have examined the effect
of consuming alcohol with energy drinks (ED) or caffeine on
alcohol-related outcomes.
Results
62
studies were identified; 29 were experiments, 9 had industry ties (8
with Red Bull GmbH). Young adults who consumed AED drank more alcohol
and experienced more alcohol-related harm than other drinkers. There was
insufficient evidence to conclude that AED led to increased alcohol
consumption or altered the nature of alcohol-related harm. However, AED
consumers reported that AED increased stimulation and alertness, offset
fatigue from drinking, and facilitated drinking. Experimental research
also found that combining ED or caffeine with alcohol increased
stimulation and alertness, offset alcohol-related fatigue and increased
the desire to keep drinking. It did not change BAC, perceived
intoxication, perceived impairment and it did not reverse
alcohol-induced impairment on simple psychomotor tasks. Combining
ED/caffeine with alcohol reduced alcohol-induced impairment on some but
not all aspects of complex tasks. Although few in number, studies with
industry ties presented contrary evidence.
Conclusion
A
growing body of evidence suggests that AED may facilitate drinking and
related harms via its effects on intoxication but a causal link needs to
be confirmed. The influence of industry involvement in this area of
research needs to be monitored.
Keywords
- Alcohol;
- Energy drinks;
- Caffeine;
- Substance abuse
- Corresponding
author at: The Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Well-being,
Building 62A Eggleston Road, The Australian National University,
Canberra 0200, ACT, Australia. Tel.:
+61 2 612 58407; fax: +61 2 612 51558.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
