Saturday 25 March 2017

'Wide awake drunk' on energy drinks and alcohol mix

Research carried out in Canada suggests that mixing energy drinks with alcohol could potentially be a risky combination that leads to a greater risk of accidents and injuries.

The caffeine within energy drinks can make people feel wide awake and encourage them to drink more than normal. Medics say that this can also cause problems sleeping as well as a raised heart rate.

Charity Drinkaware does not recommend mixing alcohol and energy drinks.
Mixing spirits and liqueurs with energy drinks, such as Red Bull and Monster, has become increasingly popular - in pubs and clubs, and at home.

What are the risks?

In a review of 13 studies published between 1981 and 2016, researchers at the University of Victoria, Canada, found a link in 10 studies between intake of alcohol mixed with energy drinks and an increased risk of falls, fight and accidents. They were unable to pin down the size of the injury risk because of the varied nature of the studies and the difficulty of comparing results.

What is in energy drinks? 

Energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine, usually about 80mg in a 250ml can - equivalent to a mug of instant coffee. Some smaller "energy shot" products can contain as much as 160mg of caffeine in a 60ml bottle.

DrinkAmount of caffeine
Red Bull (250ml can)80mg
Monster (500ml can)160mg
Coca-Cola (330ml can)32mg
Mug of instant coffee100mg
Filter coffee150mg
Cup of tea40mg


Energy drinks also contain lots of sugar as well as other ingredients, such as glucuronolactone and taurine, and sometimes vitamins and minerals or herbal substances


How much caffeine is too much?

High levels of caffeine can lead to: 
  • anxiety
  • panic attacks 
  • increased blood pressure.

Pregnant and breast-feeding women are advised not to have more than 200mg of caffeine over the course of a day. European advice says that most other adults are safe to drink up to 400mg a day.

Children should have caffeine in moderation - a daily intake of less than 3mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight in children and adolescents is safe, the European Food Safety Authority says.

(More information on NHS choices.)

Under current UK rules, drinks that contain more than 150mg per litre of caffeine (apart from teas and coffees) must carry a warning saying: "High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women".

But there are currently no legal restrictions on the amount of caffeine that may be present in a food or drink product in the UK.


What are the recommended limits on alcohol?
 
Men and women should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week. (equivalent to six pints of average strength beer or seven glasses of wine)


What's the advice on mixing both?

Audra Roemer, study author and doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of Victoria, says: "Usually when you're drinking alcohol, you eventually get tired and you go home.
"Energy drinks mask that, so people may underestimate how intoxicated they are, end up staying out later, consume more alcohol, and engage in risky behaviour and more hazardous drinking practices."
 
But Gavin Partington, director general at the British Soft Drinks Association, said there was no indication that energy drinks had any specific effect related to alcohol consumption.


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