Mixing a deadly cocktail

Photo: CTV

Mixing alcohol and energy drinks can have deadly consequences, according to a University of Victoria study.

The practice increases the risk of falls, car accidents and attempted suicide.

Researchers at UVic say the caffeinated drinks mask the effects of alcohol, so people tend to drink more.

“Usually when you’re drinking alcohol, you eventually get tired and you go home,” lead researcher Audra Roemer, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, told CTV. “Energy drinks mask that, so people may underestimate how intoxicated they are, end up staying out later, consume more alcohol, and engage in risky behaviour and more hazardous drinking practices.”

Roemer's group is running a controlled emergency room study in Victoria and Vancouver.

“When we look at alcohol alone, there’s a clear dose-response relationship – when you drink more, the risk goes up,” she said.

One or two drinks doubles a person's risk of injury compared to when they’re sober. Six drinks increases that risk six-fold. 

– with files from CTV Vancouver Island