The Impact of Alcohol and Energy Drink Consumption on Intoxication and Risk-Taking Behavior

Abstract

Background: It has been argued that consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) causes a subjective underestimation of intoxication and an increased level of risk-taking behavior. To date, however, there is mixed support for AmED-induced reductions in perceived intoxication, and no objective assessment of risk-taking following AmED consumption. Consequently, the present study aimed to determine the effect of alcohol and energy drink (ED) consumption on subjective measures of intoxication and objective measures of risk-taking. Methods: Using a placebo-controlled, single-blind, cross-over design, participants (n = 28) attended 4 sessions in which they were administered, in counterbalanced order: 0.5 g/kg alcohol, 3.57 ml/kg ED, AmED, and a placebo beverage. Participants completed the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale and a Subjective Effects Scale at baseline and 30 and 125 minutes postbeverage administration; risk-taking was measured using the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Results: Participants reported greater subjective intoxication, impairment, and sedation after active relative to placebo alcohol consumption, with no interactive AmED effects. However, a significant moderate magnitude increase in stimulation ratings was observed in the AmED relative to alcohol, ED, and placebo conditions. There was no independent effect of alcohol, or interactive effect with ED, on the BART. A significant, yet small magnitude, increase in risk-taking was evident in active relative to placebo ED conditions. Conclusions: The interactive effect of AmED appears restricted to perceived stimulation, with alcohol induced increases in subjective intoxication occurring regardless of presence or absence of ED. Engagement in risk-taking behavior was only increased by ED consumption; however, this effect was only of small magnitude; at these doses, alcohol consumption, with or without EDs, did not affect risk-taking. Further research assessing the dose-dependent effects of AmED on objectively measured risk-taking behavior could clarify whether the ED effect increases with higher doses and whether an interactive effect is observed with higher alcohol doses.

The influence of groups and alcohol consumption on individual risk-taking

“…However, it is important to note that to my knowledge, the impact of acute intoxication on the SLT has not been investigated to date. Moreover, although previous research has found intoxication effects on the BART , other null findings in this area could indicate that the BART may lack the sensitivity to detect any effects of acute alcohol consumption (Euser et al, 2011;Peacock et al, 2013; S. C. Reed et al, 2012). …”

“…Furthermore, some studies find negligible effects of intoxication overall on risk taking (Euser, Van Meel, Snelleman, & Franken, 2011;Peacock, Bruno, Martin, & Carr, 2013).…”

“…Here, behavioural measurements have mostly implicated risk-taking as a consequence to alcohol consumption behaviour (Burian et al, 2002;Lane et al, 2004;Rose et al, 2014), whilst less research finds no influence of alcohol consumption on risky 7 One of the most commonly used self-report measures of impulsivity is the 30-item Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11; Patton, Stanford, & Barratt, 1995), which measures overall impulsivity, and three sub-traits of attentional (an inability to focus attention or concentrate), motor (acting without thinking), and non-planning impulsiveness (orientated in the present with a lack of future-thinking) (Stanford et al, 2009). behaviour (Euser et al, 2011;Peacock et al, 2013;S. C. Reed, Levin, & Evans, 2012).…”

“…On the one hand, a wealth a research finds heightened risk-taking following alcohol consumption (Bidwell et al, 2013;Gilman et al, 2012;Rose et al, 2014), which is further suggested to be linear; risk-taking increases in line rising alcohol dose (Lane et al, 2004). On the other hand, other studies have found no effect of alcohol on risk-taking behaviours (Farquhar, Lambert, Drummond, Tiplady, & Wright, 2002;Peacock et al, 2013;S. C. Reed et al, 2012).…”

Alcohol mixed with energy drinks are robustly associated with patterns of problematic alcohol consumption among young adult college students

“…In mostly international studies, there has been evidence that AmED beverages do not reduce subjective effects of intoxication or greatly increase risk propensity (Peacock, Bruno, & Martin, 2012;Peacock, Bruno, Martin, & Carr, 2013). Some of the research linking energy drinks and negative alcohol-related outcomes (e.g., Marczinski et al, 2013) has come under criticism as being relatively meaningless when examining real-world outcomes .…”