Submitted by hareyan on Apr 5th, 2007
Energy Drinks
Energy drinks mixed with alcohol can cause dehydration, risk of seizures, and increased alcohol intake.
Everyone knows you shouldn't mix household chemicals. Occasionally they compliment each other and make your work easier, but more often than not they interact in unexpected ways and can cause dangerous or even fatal results.
The Utah County Division of Substance Abuse, as part of the Utah County Health Department, is concerned with a similar trend that is happening in the beverage industry. Energy drinks are becoming increasingly more prevalent, with new flavors, types and products entering our stores every day.
"Most people aren't even aware that some energy drink manufacturers are adding alcohol to their beverages," said Pat Bird, Utah County Division of Substance Abuse prevention coordinator. "They can be extremely hard to identify, using such phrases as 'malt beverage' and 'A-L-C by weight' to indicate they contain alcohol."
Most people we have talked to think malt is something that is used to flavor ice cream shakes, said Bird. In this case, however, it refers to an alcohol fermentation process.
So why are they doing it? The activity of mixing energy drinks and alcohol isn'tt new, explains Bird. It has been going on in the bar scene almost since energy drinks first hit the market. The stimulants in the energy drink make people feel less impaired, so they think it is safe to drink more alcohol. The truth is we just get a bunch of hyped up drunks.
Bird explains that manufacturers have just recognized a market and moved in. Many of these new products have bright colors or a fruity flavor, so you dont even realize they contain alcohol. They look pretty much the same as the non-alcoholic energy drinks, so unless you look really close it is easy to confuse them.
Bird expressed other health concerns. Energy drinks mixed with alcohol can cause dehydration, risk of seizures, and increased alcohol intake. When you have a beverage stimulating one part of your brain, and at the same time depressing other parts, you know there are going to be some unhealthy consequences.
While energy drinks with alcohol are regulated as beer in the state of Utah, there are no placement or labeling laws governing these products. It is common for retailers to stock the same brands next to each other, even when one contains alcohol and another doesn't. We have found many cases of where products have been mis-shelved and alcohol and non-alcoholic products are mixed.
Besides labeling and stocking issues, the Division of Substance Abuse is also concerned about marketing trends.
Alcohol is already the number one drug used by teens, said Bird. They are also being targeted by energy drink manufacturers. Products are specifically being marketed to sell using sex, references to illicit drugs, questionable health benefits, and risk behaviors.
There is literally an energy drink for every type of individual, said Bird. A new drink seems to come on the market every day. That is one way the alcohol energy drinks are gaining market share, is by catering to those individuals that have to try the newest thing.
Our goal is to help educate individuals about these drinks, especially parents, said Bird. Many retailers are seeing adults coming in to buy the energy drinks for their children.
We have a program we started that has gone statewide intended to stop the selling of alcohol to underage buyers, said Bird. The Eliminate Alcohol Sales to Youth program - or EASY - is designed to give retailers tools to identify underage buyers, know how to correctly ask for and interpret identification cards, and how to recognize intoxicated customers. Many of those attending our classes dont realize that some of these beverages contain alcohol.
If the retailers dont know about this, how are parents suppose to know?
Bird also points out that many of the energy drinks have additional ingredients you have to be aware of. Some have as much as nine times the amount of caffeine as a regular cola drink, Bird said. Others include such stimulants and supplements as guarana and gensing and ginko, which aren't regulated by the FDA.
As with anything, you have to be mindful of what you are putting into your body, said Bird. Read labels. Not only of what you are consuming, but what you are giving to your kids.
Source:
Utah County Health Department