Redbull and Vodka

Let’s break it down. Currently, Red bull and Vodka are very popular drinks. Red Bull is an energy drink that is highly caffeinated and has a large amount of sugar. Red Bull has side effects of weight gain, anxiety, cardiovascular risks, and dehydration. Some choose to add alcohol, which affects every organ in the drinker's body. Intoxication impairs brain function and motor skills. Drinking excessively increases the chance of injury or death. Alcohol is a factor, for example, in about 60% of fatal burn injuries, drowning, and homicides; 50% of severe trauma injuries and sexual assaults; and 40% of fatal motor vehicle crashes, suicides, and fatal falls.

Mixing these drinks is tricky because, caffeine decreases the “feeling” of drowsiness and uncoordinated gait. However, the intoxication and uncoordination remains present. Yes, consumers still look like a fool on the dance floor; they just last longer with increased stamina. Although the imbiber may feel more alert, more coordinated and generally more sober, reflexes and motor skills are just as impaired as people drinking regular cocktails; the effects of alcohol intoxication are not off- set by the effects of red bull. Addition of a stimulant reduces the depressant effects of alcohol allowing a person to avoid passing out for longer periods of time. However this person is just as drunk, just lacking awareness. When testing people who consume similar quantities of alcohol as those mixing with Red Bull, it was discovered these persons reported feeling less drunk, although their motor skills performance was equally as poor.

So what's the big deal?

People who lack awareness of intoxication levels tend to consume even more alcohol. The risks for alcohol poisoning increase as these persons become even more intoxicated than they otherwise would. Potentially, these persons engage in risky and unsafe behaviors and let’s be honest, many people do not plan for a designated driver prior to a night out. In general the person driving the car is the one who appears to be least drunk at the time. People who consume Red Bull mixers describe feeling a lot less drunk than they actually are. These circumstances may lead to an even more intoxicated driver behind the wheel. It was noted earlier, alcohol alone is a factor in injuries and deaths. When a stimulant is added to the mix, the possibility of injury and death increases because the person who normally would have passed out long ago is still driving continues to party.

Thus, the possibility of rape and other assaults increases. Researchers consistently find, that people who have been drinking alcohol commit approximately one-half of all sexual assaults. Similarly, approximately one-half of all sexual assault victims report, they were drinking alcohol at the time of their assault. Finally, alcohol consumption by perpetrators and victims tends to co-occur--that is, when one of them is drinking, the other one is generally drinking as well. This finding is not surprising, because in social situations (e.g., in bars or at parties), drinking tends to be a shared activity.