HHS HealthBeat (December 04, 2007)

Risky cocktails

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Researchers say mixing alcohol and high-caffeine energy drinks is big in college, but students who do it are more likely to be injured than students who only drank alcohol.

Mary Claire O’Brien of Wake Forest University School of Medicine looked at survey data from 10 universities. Students having mixed drinks had twice the risk of being hurt and requiring medical attention.

O’Brien says the caffeine might keep them from realizing how drunk they are.

``Students who mixed alcohol with energy drinks were twice as likely to ride with an intoxicated driver. And if you can’t judge if you’re drunk, and if you can’t judge if the person driving the car you’re in is drunk, that absolutely increases your injury risk.’’  (11 seconds)

O’Brien spoke a conference of the American Public Health Association. Her study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May, 26 2008