These days it seems that caffeine-rich energy drinks and alcohol are the new vodka and tonic. And if you’re not combining them in the one drink, then who hasn’t had an energy drink or two on its own during a big night out to combat late night sleepiness. It’s no big deal, right?

A study of 800 young drinkers in the US found that those who consumed caffeine-alcohol mixed drinks – like Jagemeister and Red Bull – were often drunker and more likely to put themselves at risk, compared with those who had only drunk alcohol. Those who had drunk caffeine-alcohol were three times more at likely to leave a bar drunk, and four times more likely to say they intended to drive.

Dr Lucy Burns, from the University of NSW’s National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) said, “It is common to believe that energy drinks will reduce the fatigue, cognitive and motor impairments of alcohol and other drugs. So there is a real danger that consumers may be more likely to engage in risky behaviours, such as operating a car or a motorcycle. Consumers needed to be more aware of the effect of caffeine on their body and the risk posed by consuming it alongside alcohol.”

What has your experience been when mixing energy drinks with alcohol; has it given you false confidence of ‘sobriety’?