Alcohol and caffeine energy drinks are a dangerous mix because they:

• Increase the risk of alcohol poisoning. Since caffeine makes people feel “less drunk” than they really are, they tend to drink more than they should.
• Make your heart rate and blood pressure rise. You may feel agitated, have heart palpitations or experience certain heart arrhythmias while drinking these beverages.
• Can trick people into thinking they alert enough to do things like drive a car, when they really aren’t.
• Are both diuretics which deplete the body of fluids and cause dehydration (and really bad hangovers).
• In combination they can make drinking all the more addictive.

Being able to feel the effects of tiredness, loss of coordination and even passing out or vomiting are the body’s defenses against alcohol poisoning. If you or your friends experience these sign or symptoms step up and call 911. Alcohol poisoning is a serious life threatening condition.

Information and Resources

• FDA Warning Letter to Companies Producing Alcohol Energy Drinks Red Bulls and Risky Behavior 
• Alcohol Energy Drinks and Youth a Dangerous Mix (downloadable powerpoint) 
• Combining Energy Drinks with Alcohol Potentially Dangerous 
• Four Loko The Next Student Health Problem? 
• Alcohol and Energy Drink: An Unrecognized Danger 
• Dangerous Cocktail: Energy Drinks & Alcohol: Mixing Booze with Energy Drinks Triples Risk of Getting Drunk 
• Caffeine/Alcohol Calculator 
• 2008 Priorities for New Hampshire’s Children 
• States Consider Banning Alchoholic Energy Drinks (NPR) 
• Tools and Resources for Responding to the Alchohol and Energy Drink Issue