Although few researchers have examined energy drink consumption, a researcher at the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) has been investigating links between energy drinks and public health concerns like substance abuse and risky behaviors.
Two new research reports by RIA Research Scientist Kathleen E. Miller, Ph.D., examine the relationships between energy drink consumption and risk-taking in college students as well as "toxic jock identity" - characterized by hyper-masculinity and risk-taking behaviors among college-age athletes.
Miller's research validates and expands upon existing concerns about energy drink consumption: "The principal target demographic for energy drinks is young adults ages 18-25, but they're nearly as common among younger teens," she explains. "This is a concern because energy drinks typically contain three times the caffeine of a soft drink, and in some cases, up to 10 times as much. They also include ingredients with potential interactions such as taurine and other amino acids, massive doses of vitamins, and plant and herbal extracts."
Miller is a sociologist and an adjunct research assistant professor in the Department of Sociology in UB's College of Arts and Sciences. The research was funded by a $471,000 grant by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
In the first set of results published online in June in the Journal of Adolescent Health, Miller identified links between energy drink consumption, risky substance use and sexual risk-taking.
Frequent energy drink consumers (six or more days a month), according to Miller's findings, were approximately three times as likely than less-frequent energy drink consumers or non-consumers to have smoked cigarettes, abused prescription drugs and been in a serious physical fight in the year prior to the survey.
They reported drinking alcohol,having alcohol-related problems and using marijuana about twice as often as non-consumers. They were also more likely to engage in other forms of risk-taking, including unsafe sex, not using a seatbelt, participating in an extreme sport and doing something dangerous on a dare. The associations with smoking, drinking, alcohol problems and illicit prescription use were found for white but not African-American students.
According to Miller, these findings suggest that frequent energy drink consumption may serve as a useful screening indicator to identify students at risk for what scientists call "problem behavior syndrome."
"Energy drink consumption is correlated with substance use, unsafe sexual activity and several other forms of risk-taking," Miller notes.
'For parents and college officials, frequent energy drink consumption may be a red flag or warning sign for identifying a young person at higher risk for health-compromising behavior.'
In the wake of several recent deaths linked to energy drinks, a number of countries have instituted restrictions on their use. Some, like France, Turkey, Denmark, Norway, Uruguay and Iceland ban high-caffeine/taurine energy drinks altogether, Miller notes. Sweden only permits them to be sold in pharmacies as medicinal products.
Canada, which banned these drinks until 2004, now requires warning labels cautioning against use by children or pregnant women, use in large quantities or use with alcohol. However, energy drink consumption remains unregulated in the United States.
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