The Role of Caffeine in the Alcohol Consumption Behaviors of College Students

Background: Evidence suggests that alcohol mixed with caffeine in any form may spur risky drinking behavior among young adults; however, most studies have only examined drinking behavior related to alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmEDs) compared with alcohol alone. This survey assessed the consumption patterns and reasons for use of alcohol mixed with any caffeinated beverages (alcohol-caffeine) versus alcohol-only beverages among current users. Methods: Students (N = 1174) at a large, urban university completed a Web-based survey in October-December of 2010. Predictors of alcohol-caffeine use versus alcohol-only use were examined, as were drinking characteristics and reasons for alcohol-caffeine consumption as a function of type of alcohol-caffeine beverage usually consumed. Results: Past-30-day prevalence was 34% for any alcohol-caffeine beverages and 36% for alcohol-only. The most frequent alcohol-caffeine beverages usually consumed were manufactured ready-to-drink AmED products (no longer sold in the United States; 50.3%), followed by self-mixed alcoholic beverages containing caffeinated sodas (26.4%) and energy drinks (18.5%). Users of alcohol-caffeine displayed a riskier drinking profile than alcohol-only users; however, there were few differences in overall alcohol drinking behaviors between consumers of AmEDs (manufactured or self-mixed) versus other caffeinated alcoholic beverages (e.g., alcohol mixed with caffeinated sodas). Conclusions: Although alcohol-caffeine consumption was associated with heavier drinking characteristics compared with alcohol-only consumption, overall alcohol consumption patterns were similar between users of various alcohol-caffeine combinations. Future examinations should assess alcohol in combination with a variety of caffeine sources to determine whether energy drinks present a unique risk.