Alcohol Mixed with Energy Drinks: Consumption Patterns and Motivations for Use in U.S. College Students

Abstract

Binge drinking in college students is widespread and known to cause significant harms and health hazards for the drinker. One factor that may be exacerbating hazardous drinking in young people is the new popular trend of consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED). However, rates of AmED use and motivations for AmED consumption in college students have not been well established. In this study, 706 undergraduate college students from a university in the United States participated in a web-based survey that queried self-reported alcohol, energy drink, and AmED use. In addition, motivations for using AmEDs were assessed. The results indicated that for all participants, 81% reported that they have tried at least one energy drink in the past and 36% reported consumption of at least one energy drink in the past 2 weeks. Alcohol consumption patterns were similar to findings from U.S. national surveys of college drinking, as 37% of respondents were classified as binge drinkers and 23% abstained from drinking. In the whole sample (including the alcohol abstainers), 44% reported trying AmED at least once and 9% reported AmED consumption at least once in the past 2 weeks. 78% of respondents agreed with the statement that AmEDs appeal to underage drinkers. When AmED users were asked about various motivations for consuming AmEDs, users reported that they consumed these beverages to get drunk and reduce sedation compared to alcohol alone. In conclusion, the consumption of AmEDs is common in U.S. college students. Motivations for using AmEDs include the reduction of the sedative effects of alcohol, an important interoceptive cue that one should stop drinking.

Consumption of energy drinks among Québec college students

“…Several questions were based on four self-administered questionnaires used in previous studies dealing with the same theme. 6,[16][17][18] The questionnaire was pretested with a sample of the target population to ensure respondents clearly understood it. A few participants found that some questions had repetitive answer choices and that the questionnaire was too long.…”

Les liens entre la consommation de boissons énergisantes et la consommation de psychotropes chez les jeunes : que connaissons-nous du phénomène ?

“…Dans la dernière année 51 % : 1-51 jours (faibles consommateurs) 10 % ≥ 52 jours (forts consommateurs) États-Unis (n = 585) 18 % ≥ 1 fois dans la dernière semaine 38 % ≥ 1 fois (Velazquez, Poulos, Latimer & Pasch, 2012) Ghana (n = 180) 62 % ≥ 1 fois dans la dernière semaine avec 80 % qui consomment 1-2 BÉ/semaine et 21 % qui consomment 3-4 BÉ/semaine (Buxton & Hagan, 2012) Ces recherches révèlent que la consommation de BÉ est un phénomène répandu chez les universitaires aux États-Unis et dans quelques autres pays, 18 % à 65 % des répondants en ayant consommé dans la ou les deux dernières semaines (Buxton & Hagan, 2012 ;Marczinski, 2011 ;Pettit & DeBarr, 2011 ;Price, Hilchey, Darredeau, Fulton, & Barrett, 2010 ;Velazquez, Poulos, Latimer, & Pasch, 2012). De plus, entre 38 % et 70 % des répondants auraient consommé des BÉ au moins une fois dans le dernier mois.…”

“…(Miller, 2008a ;Miller, 2008b ;Velazquez, Poulos, Latimer, & Pasch, Liens entre consommation de boissons énergisantes et consommation de psychotropes chez les jeunes 2012 ; Malinauskas, Aeby, Overton, Carpenter-Aeby, & Barber-Heidal, 2007). Le tableau indique aussi qu'une forte proportion des universitaires questionnés en ont déjà consommé, soit de 31 % à 81 % des participants Ballistreri & Corradi-Webster, 2008 ;Berger, Fendrich, Chen, Arria, & Cisler, 2011 ;Marczinski, 2011 ;Oteri, Salvo, Caputi, & Calapai, 2007). Seulement quelques études quantifient le nombre de BÉ consommées par semaine (Buxton & Hagan, 2012 ;Marczinski, 2011) ou par occasion (Pettit & DeBarr, 2011).…”

“…Le tableau indique aussi qu'une forte proportion des universitaires questionnés en ont déjà consommé, soit de 31 % à 81 % des participants Ballistreri & Corradi-Webster, 2008 ;Berger, Fendrich, Chen, Arria, & Cisler, 2011 ;Marczinski, 2011 ;Oteri, Salvo, Caputi, & Calapai, 2007). Seulement quelques études quantifient le nombre de BÉ consommées par semaine (Buxton & Hagan, 2012 ;Marczinski, 2011) ou par occasion (Pettit & DeBarr, 2011). Néanmoins, ces données offrent une mesure imprécise ; le nombre de BÉ étant rapporté sans égard au format, à la teneur en caféine ou à la concentration en alcool qu'elles renferment.…”

Involvement of adenosinergic and dopaminergic systems in the regulation of alcohol or sucrose intake: studies in rodent models of self-administration

“…Combining caffeine with ethanol during binge drinking may stem from the popular belief that caffeine antagonizes those intoxicating effects of alcohol (Reissig et al, 2009). For example, college students report consuming energy drinks combined with alcohol to quicken the onset of intoxication, and to reduce fatigue after drinking (Marczinski, 2011). Moreover, epidemiologic studies have shown that energy-drink users tend to show increased levels of alcohol consumption.…”