Energy drinks are very popular amongst the general population, especially amongst teenagers. With the rise in the trend of consumption of such energy drinks which are high in caffeine, there has also been a significant rise in the trend of mixing such energy drinks with alcohol to make alcoholic beverages.
Alcohol mixed along with energy drinks helps mask the taste of the alcohol as well as give the person drinking the opportunity to stand on their feet longer than one could by directly consuming such alcohol. Energy drinks make for great substitutes for dilution of alcohol. However, they are not good for the body and can seriously affect one’s health and in rare cases, even cause death.
What are energy drinks?
Energy drinks are beverages which are high in their caffeine content. They also have other ingredients such as vitamin B, sugar, guarana, and taurine. Energy drinks are often advertised to be safe for consumption and give the drinker a boost in his or her mental or/and physical stimulation.
Energy drinks are said to contain 40 to 240 grams of caffeine in them. Although energy drinks are known to provide for physical as well as mental stimulation, their consumption can also cause anxiety, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and thickening of the blood.
Since energy drinks themselves can affect the body so severely, it shall come as no surprise that mixing such energy drinks with alcohol can also have consequences dire to the health of the person who is consuming such a mixture. Thus, the article further explains the effects and risk factors of mixing alcohol with energy drinks.
Effects Of Mixing Alcohol And Energy Drinks
Even though a popular trend, mixing alcohol with energy drinks is not an ideal concoction for your drinking days. The ill effects of energy drinks themselves are serious enough. However, such a mixture of alcohol with energy drinks is a toxic concoction.
The effects of mixing alcohol with energy drinks are-
Being wide awake drunk: Mixing the drinks creates two kinds of stimulations, one where the alcohol makes the brain fuzzy and sleepy, and the second where the caffeine makes the brain active, this results in a person being wide awake drunk and also at risk of consuming more alcohol than they should.
Alcohol poisoning: Mixing alcohol with energy drinks can also cause alcohol poisoning and would require a trip to the ER for pumping of the stomach.
Alcohol overdose: One may even end up overdosing on alcohol if they do not have a check on the amount of alcohol (mixed or not) they consume. This could be fatal if immediate attention is not given.
Risky behaviour: Being wide awake drunk also encourages risky behaviour such as doing things that could put your life in danger and things you would not normally do.
Caffeine overdose: Caffeine overdose can seriously affect a person and can give them problems such as Sleep Disorders, mental disorders, etc.
Risks Of Alcoholic Energy Drinks
Drinking alcohol as a social predicament is something everyone has heard of once in a while. However, there are a few risk factors attached to it that can encourage risky behaviours that could place your life in jeopardy. The Risk factors of alcoholic energy drinks that encourage people to take up drinking are-
• Peer pressure
• Sense of belonging
• Binge drinking
• Low self-esteem/ self-worth
• High-stress levels
Problem of teenage drinking
The common age group that is affected due to such mixing of alcohol and energy drinks are teenagers and young adults. The effects of alcohol on teenagers and young adults are very dangerous and can seriously harm their health.
It has been studied that when such mixing of alcohol and energy drinks occurs, it creates the same kind of stimulation that cocaine would create. Those consuming such a mixture are putting not only themselves but also people around them at risk as it increases the possibility of such behaviour that could be life-threatening.
As mentioned above, such a mixture can create a stimulation similar to the one caused by cocaine. This affects the brain and hampers with a person’s thinking, which may even continue into their adult lives. The person may not even be able to feel good in circumstances which are joyous as the brain could become numb to any kind of emotion.
Conclusion
Everything Health is a motto that every person should live by. Social drinking is a norm accepted worldwide as well as a norm that does not affect a person’s health seriously, as the body is healthy enough to recover from at least one night of abuse. However, constantly subjecting yourself to such a habit could seriously affect your health and your relationships with your loved ones as well. Therefore, take immense care in matters such as these.
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