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Mixed signals: Alcoholic energy drinks

  • Published
  • By Bekah Clark
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  It's a frat party's dream: a drink that'll get you drunk and provide you with the energy to party strong all night.

This is the premise of alcoholic energy drinks--and chances are, they're available on a nearby shelf.

While this may seem like a genius concept to the party crowd, these drinks are accompanied by dangerous side effects that are far too significant to be ignored.
The combination of high alcohol content--up to the equivalent of three beers in one can--and the herbal supplements and caffeine also found in these drinks can have a dangerous impact.

"Energy drinks alone are hard on your heart because they raise the heart rate and put people at risk for cardiac issues," said Capt. Cheryl Galarza, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment program manager and licensed clinical social worker with the 375th Medical Group. "But, by adding stimulants, like caffeine, even more factors come into play."

The combination of alcohol with stimulants like caffeine, guarana and taurine, all of which are found in many of these drinks, the mind and body get conflicting signals, according Captain Galarza.

"The stimulant will mask the feelings of intoxication initially," she said. "Most people will have a drink or two, and they'll feel a certain way, indicating that they're buzzed or intoxicated. But, the stimulants will inhibit that feeling meaning the drinker doesn't realize they're intoxicated so they'll drink more or believe they're thinking more clearly than they are. The body is intoxicated but the mind is too clouded to recognize that."

Intoxication by itself leads to a higher rate of drinking and driving, excess drinking, risky sexual behaviors and other negative trends, but the masked intoxication effect of these drinks exacerbates these negative trends because people may still believe they're entirely sober.

Adding to the poor decision making is that these drinks are marketed to those under 25, whose frontal lobe--the area of the brain that assists in decision making--is still developing, especially in males.

"Alcoholic energy drinks compound the fact that young, 21 to 25-year-old drinkers, sometimes to no fault of their own, don't have the best decision making skills from the start," said Captain Galarza. "You go to the club, drink something to speed you up so you're not tired, and you don't recognize the danger, both short and long term, that you're putting yourself in."

The stimulants in these drinks are also diuretics, which intensify dehydration, leading to more severe hangovers.

These short term concerns are increased with continued use.

"If consumed frequently, the contradictory signals sent by the stimulants and the depressant affect of the alcohol can be hard on the heart," said Captain Galarza. "Additionally, the masking effect of intoxication can easily lead to alcohol poisoning, even death."

The high levels of stimulants and alcohol is what makes these drinks different than other mixed stimulant and alcohol drinks like a "Jack and Coke."

"These mixed drinks don't produce the same effect because of the lower concentration of the stimulants," said Captain Galarza. "A 'Jack and Coke' is one serving of alcohol with a mixer that has small amounts of caffeine. Alcoholic energy drinks have multiple servings of alcohol with a high level of stimulants mixed in."

These drinks include brands like Joose, Tilt, Sparks and Four Loko--the last of which has garnered a barrage of attention since it was linked to the alcohol poisoning of nearly 10 students at a university in Washington in early October. As of mid-October, alcoholic energy drinks have been responsible for the hospitalization of more than 20 college students since the start of the fall semester according to news reports.

To date, there haven't been any recorded incidents of hospitalization linked to the consumption of these drinks by Scott personnel, and that's how the 375th Medical Group wants to keep it.

"These drinks are just flat out dangerous," said Capt. Cheryl Galarza. "It's not about telling Airmen to never, ever drink. It's about encouraging them to make the right decisions when they do: drink responsibly, both in the amount and types of drinks they consume, and always have a safe plan to get home. If someone thinks they or someone they know has a problem, they should contact ADAPT at 256-7080."