Energy drink use has expanded with marketing efforts directed towards young adults. Energy drinks can be further used as alcohol mixers and this use is common and dangerous among young adults. The current study includes three parts to examine alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) use and its accompanying negative consequences.

80 total participants were recruited with 55.1% being male and most being between the age of 18-25. The first measure included alcohol, energy drink, and AmED use. This assessed drinking, energy drink, and AmED use during the previous 12 months. Alcohol-related and AmED-related negative consequences were assessed by asking how often participants experienced 7 different negative consequences due to drinking in the previous 12 months. They were then asked how often they experienced these negative consequences as the result of AmED use. AmED expectancies were measured by asking if participants agreed or disagreed with 11 AmED expectances pulled from empirical review of literature (e.g., it helps alcohol taste better).

91.2% of participants reported drinking alcohol in the previous 12 months. 72.7% of them consumed and energy drink and 47.4% consumed AmED. AmED was found to be associated with unwanted sexual contact and getting into verbal arguments. When heavy drinking and AmED use shared a negative consequence, AmED use had the greater strength of association. Many AmED-related negative consequences were associated with AmED expectancies. Unwanted sexual contact and verbal argument were associated the most. These findings show that AmED use may add risk for negative consequences even more so than heavy drinking. Discussing with young adults AmED expectancies and possible related negative consequences may help to educate them on the dangers of this use.

Take Away:  The current study examines alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) use and its accompanying negative consequences. 80 total participants were recruited, and measures included alcohol, energy drink, and AmED use, alcohol related and AmED-related negative consequences, and AmED expectancies. 91.2% of participants reported drinking alcohol in the previous 12 months and 47.4% consumed AmED. AmED was found to be associated with unwanted sexual contact and getting into verbal arguments. When heavy drinking and AmED use shared a negative consequence, AmED use had the greater strength of association. Discussing with young adults AmED expectancies and possible related negative consequences may help to educate on the dangers of this use.

Powers, G., & Berger, L. (2020). Alcohol mixed with energy drinks: Expectancies of use and alcohol-related negative consequences among a young adult sample. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 12, 100292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2020.100292