Excess of energy drinks drives alcohol dependency

WASHINGTON - Many college students tend to have large quantities of energy drinks to stay awake but they are blissfully unaware how overindulgence could lead to bouts of heavy drinking and develop alcohol dependence, a study in the US has said.

Collegians stay up late to study for an exam the following morning, and many of them do so by consuming energy drinks, the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research reports.

Also increasing in popularity is the practice of mixing alcohol with energy drinks. But these drinks are highly caffeinated and can lead to other problems, besides loss of sleep, according to a University of Maryland School of Public Health statement.

New research indicates that individuals who have a high frequency of energy drink consumption (52 or more times within a year) were at a statistically significant higher risk for alcohol dependence and episodes of heavy drinking.

Amelia M. Arria, who led the study at Maryland School, said: “The use of energy drinks was found to be associated with an increase in the risk of alcohol dependence.”

The study utilised data from more than 1,000 students enrolled at a public university who were asked about their consumption of energy drinks and their alcohol drinking behaviours within the past 12 months.