Is There a Link Between Energy Drinks and Drunk Driving Crashes?
The market for energy drinks seems to be teens, college students, and young professionals trying to get through the daily grind. Most people think these drinks are relatively harmless, or if not harmless, at least no more dangerous than a soft drink or a cup of coffee or tea. However, some college students are using energy drinks to boost the effects of alcohol, which contributes to risky behaviors such as drinking and driving. In September 2016, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Public Health and the Department of Psychology published a study in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research on the topic of college students combining highly caffeinated energy drinks with alcohol. This study’s findings were interesting. Energy drinks tend to decrease the sedative effects of alcohol, which allows a person to stay awake longer, and in turn, drink more alcohol. The researchers called this effect a “wide-awake drunk.” The study showed that people who consumed large quantities of energy drinks combined with alcohol operated on a high level of energy combined with the lowered inhibitions that alcohol creates. These “wide-awake drunks” were likely to end up engaging in dangerous, risky behaviors. The study specifically took a look at college student’s consumption of energy drinks and its relationship to drunk driving.
The University of Maryland researchers used 1,000 subjects – 550 females and 450 males – over six years, and these subjects were assessed each year in personal interviews. In year six, the study participants self-reported the frequency of their drunk driving from the previous year.
Researchers found a strong correlation between consuming energy drinks and driving drunk. Basically, the likelihood of driving drunk increased with the consumption of an energy drink. This is likely because combining energy drinks with alcohol often leads to a greater amount of alcohol consumption. The interesting part of the study though revealed that consuming energy drinks without alcohol also contributed to the increased risk of drunk driving. In other words, the study concluded that the consumption of highly caffeinated energy drinks whether combined with alcohol or alone contributed to the increased frequency of drunk driving. This study goes to show that an increased awareness of the effects of energy drink consumption is needed in this country.
Drunk driving puts everyone at risk
The statistics on drunk driving are pretty scary. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) reports that while drunk driving fatalities have decreased significantly in recent years, about 11,000 people will still die in drunk driving accidents this year in the United States. This means that on average about one person is injured in an alcohol-related crash every single minute of the day. Because drunk driving is so widespread, one in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related accident in their lifetime. This year in Shelby County alone, there have been 394 alcohol-related auto accidents.
Aside from the risks of serious injuries to passengers and other drivers such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal paralysis, broken bones, and even death, the combination of energy drinks and alcohol has proven to be dangerous in other ways. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when alcoholic beverages are mixed with energy drinks, a popular practice among young people, the caffeine in these drinks can mask the depressant effects of alcohol. Drinkers who consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks are three times more likely to binge drink than drinkers who do not report mixing alcohol with energy drinks. Drinkers who consume alcohol with energy drinks are about two times as likely as drinkers who do not report mixing alcohol with energy drinks to report being taken advantage of sexually, to report taking advantage of someone else sexually, and to report riding with a driver who was under the influence of alcohol. If you are the parent of a teenager or a young adult driver, it is very important to be aware of the dangers of combining energy drinks with alcohol. It is also important to speak with your kids about these dangers, so that they can be armed with all the facts before partaking in such reckless behavior.
Driving drunk is one of the most reckless and thoughtless things a driver can do. If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries from an auto accident caused by a drunk driver, you deserve justice, and the attorneys at Bailey & Greer have dedicated their lives to fighting for people like you. If you would like to speak with an experienced Memphis auto accident attorney, you are encouraged to call Bailey & Greer, PLLC, at 901-680-9777 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case today. We are proud to serve clients in and around Memphis, Jackson, and West Te
As founder of Bailey & Greer, R. Sadler Bailey has battled his fair share of insurance giants and wrongdoers and has achieved numerous multimillion-dollar results for the victims of catastrophic injuries and their families. What’s more, he has been involved in more than 40 appellate court decisions affecting Tennessee personal injury law, including many landmark appearances before the Tennessee Supreme Court.
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