Over recent months, the energy drinks and alcohol debate has hotted up with many prominent commentators contributing their views. While open and frank debate is important, a lot of the discussion is lacking context.
Energy drinks first appeared in Japan in the 1960s, and when they arrived in the Australian market more than 13 years ago, they became part of the menu of regular mixers alongside other non-alcoholic drinks.
Today energy drinks are sold in more than 164 countries worldwide and there is certainly nothing new about mixing caffeine and alcohol, whether it’s classic drinks like Irish coffee, new innovations like espresso martinis, or just enjoying an espresso with a port or cognac after dinner with friends.
The subject of mixing alcohol with energy drinks has continued to be the topic of debate in the media and is now the subject of a study commissioned by the NSW government. In addition to the blame for increased violence, further allegations have been made that the combination will mask the effects of alcohol; that they are associated with increased risk-taking behaviour; and that the mixing will actually increase alcohol consumption.
However, much of the public debate relies on inadequate information that often fails to provide context and common sense on the issue or deliver a balanced and sensible discussion, especially in light of the most recent research on the topic.
Respected drug educator Paul Dillon has blogged on the issue at www.doingdrugs-harda.blogspot.com.au and asked:” How can anyone with two brain cells really believe that it is the caffeinated product causing the violence?” Prominent expert agencies agree.
The UK government’s Committee on Toxicity found that the current balance of evidence does not support a harmful toxicological or behavioural interaction between caffeine and alcohol.
A major study in 2012 by Utrecht University in the Netherlands, which surveyed over 6000 Dutch students, collected data on alcohol consumption and ‘alcohol-related consequences’ of alcohol when consumed alone and alcohol mixed with energy drinks.
The data was analysed, comparing occasions when subjects consumed alcohol mixed with energy drinks with those when they consumed alcohol only in the last 30 days. It found that mixing alcohol with energy drinks did not increase overall alcohol consumption and alcohol-related negative consequences, when compared to consuming alcohol alone.
A major criticism of the use of energy drinks as an alcohol mixer has been that it creates a ‘masking’ effect, allegedly masking the normal signs of intoxication. Alcohol is a depressant that can essentially depress the activity of the central nervous system, resulting in slurred speech, stumbling, lack of coordination and similar effects. In contrast, caffeine is a stimulant, and in moderate doses can enhance mental performance.
As a result, some commentators have suggested that the stimulant hides the effects of the depressant, thus hiding the signs of intoxication.
However, a 2012 literature review by the same researchers who conducted the Dutch study found that the available evidence is unequivocal in its conclusion that there is no consistent evidence that energy drinks have a so-called ‘masking’ effect on the perceived level of intoxication of people who mix energy drinks with alcohol.
This has been further supported by a number of food agencies, including the European Food Safety Authority and the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Food.
While Australian commentators regularly refer to studies conducted in the US, there is no acknowledgement of the fact that, unlike Australia, there is absolutely no regulation of the ingredients or advisory statements for energy drink products in the US, meaning there’s no limit to the amount of caffeine used. While the major energy drinks manufacturers generally adopt a standard global formula, other manufacturers don’t follow suit.
This is in stark contrast to Australia, which has one of the highest regulatory standards for energy drinks and imposes mandatory limits on ingredients and compulsory statements regarding consumption limits which are displayed on energy drink labels or fonts. Is this relevant and an important part of the context? Absolutely.
And while energy drinks are stringently regulated, the most commonly consumed caffeine product – coffee – is not. The modern energy drink in Australia contains the same amount of caffeine as one standard cup of instant coffee. For the ‘standard’ can of energy drink (250mL) that’s just 80mg of caffeine. The average Australian adult consumes more than 230mg of caffeine per day.
Consumer advocate Choice recently reported Australians had increased their coffee intake by 65 per cent in the last 10 years, taking us to a billion cups per annum.
Choice also found that a long black contains around 253 mg of caffeine per cup and a cappuccino has 160 mg of caffeine per cup.
The number of alcoholic beverages served with energy drinks as a mixer is very small: less than one per cent of alcoholic drinks sold in Australian venues. While this may seem an insignificant figure, the premium price that these drinks usually attract, at times around $12 to $15 per serve, means the profit margins can be attractive for venue operators. Of course, for many patrons there are far cheaper options available.
It is common sense to conclude that, like many food and beverage products, energy drinks should be consumed responsibly. The non-alcoholic beverages industry has long supported an ethos of moderation. This holds true whether energy drinks are consumed on their own, or as a mixer with alcohol, making up a fraction of the licensed venue economy.
It makes no sense to demonise a non-alcoholic mixer for causing a range of irresponsible behaviours that some individuals will engage in regardless of whether they were drinking alcohol with energy drinks or water. Let’s keep the issue in context.
