Mixing an Energy Drink with an Alcoholic Beverage Increases Motivation for More Alcohol in College Students

Abstract

Background There has been a dramatic rise in the consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks ( A m EDs ) in social drinkers. It has been suggested that A m ED beverages might lead individuals to drink greater quantities of alcohol. This experiment was designed to investigate whether the consumption of A m ED s would alter alcohol priming (i.e., increasing ratings of wanting another drink) compared with alcohol alone. Methods Participants ( n = 80) of equal gender attended 1 session where they were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 4 doses (0.91 ml/kg vodka, 1.82 ml/kg energy drink, 0.91 ml/kg vodka mixed with 1.82 ml/kg energy drink [ A m ED ], or a placebo beverage). Alcohol‐induced priming of the motivation to drink was assessed by self‐reported ratings on the D esire for D rug questionnaire. Results The priming dose of alcohol increased the subjective ratings of “desire” for more alcohol, consistent with previous research that small doses of alcohol can increase the motivation to drink. Furthermore, higher desire ratings over time were observed with A m ED s compared with alcohol alone. Finally, ratings of liking the drink were similar for the alcohol and A m ED conditions. Conclusions An energy drink may elicit increased alcohol priming. This study provides laboratory evidence that A m ED beverages may lead to greater motivation to drink versus the same amount of alcohol consumed alone.