Mixing energy drinks with alcohol may prove dangerous

Do you love to mix your alcohol with highly caffeinated energy drinks? Beware! You may be at higher risk of injury, compared to drinking alcohol only

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Toronto: Do you love to mix your alcohol with highly caffeinated energy drinks? Beware! You may be at higher risk of injury, compared to drinking alcohol only, according to a study.

Alcohol mixed with energy drinks is used either as premixed drinks sold in liquor stores or by combining the two beverages by hand.

"The stimulant effects of caffeine mask the result that most people get when they drink," said lead author Audra Roemer from the University of Victoria in Canada.

The study, detailed in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, classified the injuries as unintentional -- such as falls or motor vehicle accidents, and intentional -- such as fights or other physical violence.

In addition, the researchers also looked at whether risk-taking or sensation-seeking tendencies play a role in injuries associated with alcohol mixed with energy drinks use.

People who have these traits might prefer the awake-drunk state that one gets from mixing alcohol and energy drinks, Roemer said adding "this could be a population that's at even higher risk for injuries," he noted.

"Usually when you're drinking alcohol, you get tired and you go home. Energy drinks mask that, so people may underestimate how intoxicated they are, end up staying out later, consume more alcohol and engage in risky behaviour and more hazardous drinking practices," Roemer said.

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