Fatl2010
Vol.53
ffiHR
trUCATION
An Informatlon*I Newsletter
K$UAlcchol md Ot&erDrug Educason$ervic*
Alcohol + Caffeine
Combining alcohol and caffeinatedenergy drinks has been widely recognizedas risky, given the
inherent dangerin mixing alcohol, a depressant,with stimulants such as caffeine, graranaand other
additives. This combination can result in a phenomenonknown as "wide awake drunk," where intoxicated
people mistakenly conclude they can safely perform potentially dangerousfunctions, such as driving. The
combination of alcohol and caffeine also can lead to:
I An increasedrisk of alcohol poisoning. Since caffeine makespeople feel "less
drunk" than they really are, they tend to drink more than they should;
I Making a person's heart rate and blood pressurerise;
I
Dehydration (and severehangovers),becausecaffeine and alcohol are both diuretics; and
I
An increasedlikelihood of addiction.
Alcoholic energy drink userstypically drink t'wice as much alcohol as regular alcohol users.
Surveys also show that college studentswho drink alcoholic energy drinks report suffering more negative
consequencesthan do studentswho drink other types of alcohol. Often, there is an inaccurateexpectation,
particularly among adolescentsand young adults, that mixing an energy drink with alcohol will diminish
the cognitive and motor impairmentsrelated to alcohol intoxication. Given this expectation,individuals
may be more likely to engagein risky behaviorsafter consumingthesemixtures. This raisesconcern
becausecaffeine can mask some of the sensorycuesindividuals might normally rely on to determinetheir
level of intoxication. However, when the caffeine wears off, a person feels the fulIeffects of the alcohol.
A 2010 national studentsurvey found that there is ahuge gulf betweenthosewho are drinking
alcoholic energy drinks and those who arejust drinking alcohol in terms of the negative academic,social,
and behavioral consequencesexperienced.This difference is greaterthan the difference betweendrinkers
and non-drinkers. Consuming alcoholic energy drinks has a predictive relationship with negative
consequencessuch as having a hangover,passingout, forgetting where you were or what you did
(blacking out), being taken advantageof sexually, getting behind on school work, missing class,getting
into physical fights, driving after drinking, riding with a driver who had been drinking, and straining
relationshipswith friends!
Funding in part provided by the City of Manhattan
CollegeStudentsand AlcoholicEnergy Drink Usage
According to recent survey data of thousandsof newly-enrolled college studentsnationwide by
Outsidethe Classroom,Inc., of studentswho consumealcohol, 55Yohadconsumedalcoholicenergy
drinks within the past year,40Yohad consumedthem within the past two weeks, and studentsconsumed
an average2.6 cansper occasion.Thereappearsto be no differencein usagebasedon gender,race,
ethnicity, or age.Alcoholic energy drink userswere twice as likely to drive drunk and four times more
likely to ride with a drunk driver. Predictorsof collegestudents'alcoholicenergydrink usageinclude
early initiation of alcohol consumption,high risk takers,and a family history of alcoholism.
Four Loko
Four Loko is just the latestin roughly 25 differentbrandsof caffeinatedalcoholicbeverages.The
name"Four Loko" stemsfrom the four main ingredients:malt liquor, caffeine,guarana, and taurine.
Four Loko is an alcoholicenergydrink producedby PhusionProjects,LLC of Chicago,Illinois. Four
Loko debutedin U.S. marketsin 2008,and was developedby threerecentalumni of The Ohio State
University.
Four Loko comesin nine flavors: fruit punch, orangeblend, grape,watermelon,blue raspberry,
kiwi strawberry,lemonade,cranberrylemonade,and lemon lime. Four Loko also contains660 calories,
135 mg of caffeine,and 65 gramsof sugar.Four Loko is I2o/oalcohol,which meansthat one can of Four
Loko is equalto 4.6 "standard"drinks.Becauseof the high alcoholcontent,it is easyfor consumersof
Four Loko to underestimate
the amountof alcoholbeing ingested.This is one of the reasonsthat Four
Loko is referredto as "liquid cocaine"or "blackout in a can."
On November 13, 2009,the U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationwarnedPhusionProjectsand
over two dozenother brewersand distillers whose drinks containedthe "intentional addition of caffeine"
that it was looking into the safetyand legality of their beverages.Severalstateshavebannedthe saleof
this product,and many collegecampuseshavebannedthe drink from its premises.
On November 16,2010,the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationwarnedfour companiesthat the
caffeineaddedto their malt alcoholicbeveragesis an "unsafefood additive" and saidthat further action,
including seizureof their products,is possibleunder federallaw. The FDA statedthat thereis evidence
that the combinationof caffeineand alcoholin theseproductsposea public health concern.Upon this
announcement,
PhusionProjects,the maker of Four Loko, announcedits intentionto removecaffeineand
other stimulantsfrom its drinks. The FDA intendsto work with PhusionProjects and the other
manufacturersto assuretheir productsmeet safety standards.
On November22,2010 KansasDirector of Alcoholic BeverageControl, ThomasGroneman,sent
notification to Four Loko and two other alcoholic energy drink makersthat he was issuing a recall of their
products effective immediately. Therefore,Four Loko is no longer legally for sale or distribution in the
stateof Kansas.But be assured,the long-term problems associatedwith combining energy drinks with
alcoholicdrinks will not so easilydisappear.
Malt Liquor
Malt Liquor is a North American term referring to a type of beer with high alcohol content.It is a
strong lager in which sugar,corn or other adjunctsare addedto the malted barley to boost the alcoholic
strength.Thesebeerstend to be mildly hopped (that is, they are not very bitter). While ordinary beersin
the United Statesaveragearound 5% alcohol by volume, malt liquors typically range from 60/oto 9oh
alcoholbv volume.
Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the world's most popular drugs. Caffeine is a white, slightly bitter, crystal-like
substancefound in coffee, tea, cocoa,cola, and now energy drinks. As a stimulant, caffeine usually
increasesalertnessand physical activity. Caffeine increasesa person's metabolism,body temperature,and
blood pressure.Other effects include an increasein urine production, higher blood sugarlevels, hand
tremors, a loss of coordination, decreasedappetite,and delayed sleep.After drinking too much caffeine,
somepeople experienceheadaches,nausea,trernbling, an irregular heartbeat,and nervousness.Ingesting
large amountsof caffeine can lead to convulsions and breathing failure. Deathslinked to misuse of tablets
containing caffeine have been reported.Caffeine can be addictive in nature, and some caffeine researchers
have found withdrawal-like symptoms among regular caffeine users who try to quit or reduce drinking
caffeine. These symptomsinclude headaches,fatigue, muscle pain, depression,irritability, and mood
changes.
Guarana
Guarana is a creeping shrub native to Venezuela and northem Brazil in the Amazon rain furest.
The fruit are small, bright-red, and contain black seeds.The main chemical componentsof guaranaare
caffeine and tracesof tehophylline and theobromine,which belong to the chemical family of caffeine.
Guaranaseedscontain up to 4-8% caffeine, more than coffee beans,which contain approximately l-2%
caffeine. Guaranais presentin somedrinks imported from South America in a manner similar to
American sofi-drinks fortified with caffeine. When mixed with caffeine, the stirnulant effect is intensified.
Guaranahas not been evaluatedby the FDA for safety, effectivenessor purity. All potential risks of
gnaranamay not be known. Talk to your doctor or health care provider before taking guarana if you have
heart problems or high blood pressure,diabetes,epilepsy,kidney disease,an overactivethyroid
(hyperthyroidism), insomnia or an anxiety or nervous disorder.Additionally, there are no regulated
manufacturing standardsin place for these compounds and unlike coffee, the amount of caffeine does not
have to be listed in zuaranadrinks.
Taurine
Taurine, or 2-aminoethansulfonicacid, is a nonessentialamino acid and one of the few known
naturally occurring sulfonic acids. It supportneurological developmentand helps regulate the level of
water and mineral salts in the blood. Taurine is also thought to have antioxidant properties.It is found
naturally in meat, fish and breastmilk. It is commonly available as a dietary supplement.Some studies
suggestthat taurine supplementationmay improve athletic performanc", *Lich may explain why taurine
is used in many energy drinks. Other studiessuggestthat taurine combined with caffeine improves mental
performance,although this finding remains controversial.However, moderation is important as little is
known about the effects of heavy or long-term taurine use. Taurine is not recommended for children and
pregnant or breast-feedingwomen. Studieshave implicated synthetic taurine in illnessesranging from
high blood pressureto strokesand seizuresto heart disease.For thesereasonsit has been bannedin some
Scandinaviancountries.
Alcohol ContentChart
Beverage
AlcoholContent AlcoholContent
Proof
by Weight
by Volume
Ouncesof Alcohol
Per TypicalServing
GroceryStoreBeer
(CMB)
3.2%
4%
B
4o/ox12oz.=.48
Liquor Store Beer
4%
5%
10
5o/ox12oz.=.60
Wine
9.6%
12Yo
24
1 2 V o x 5 o=z . 6 0
80
x 1.5o2.= .60
40o/o
Whiskey
32%
40%
Over-ProofRum
60.4%
75.5%
151
75.5%x1.5oz=1.1
Everclear
76%
95%
190
95x1.5o2.=1.4
12%
24
12o/o
x23.5o2.= 2.8
Four Loko
9.6%
A "standarddrink" typically equalsa 12-ouncebeer,a 5-ounceglassof wine or 1.5 ouncesof
hard liquor. Eachcontainsabout.60 ouncesof ethyl alcohol.
RESOURCES
KSU Counseling Services
English/CounselingServicesBldg.
Phone:532-6927
KSUAlcohol & Other Drug
Education Service
Director: Bill Arck
2 14 English/CounselingServicesBldg.
Phone:532-6927
Alcoholics Anonymous
Noon Meeting (Mon.-Sat.)
Blue Valley United Methodist Church
835 ChurchAve.
Phone: 537-9260
Higher Education is a publication of the KSU Alcohol and Other Drug
Education Service,English/CounselingServicesBldg., KansasStateUniversity, Manhattan,KS 66506. Q85)532-6927.An equal opporhmity employer.
Director: Bill Arclq M.S.; AssistantDirector: Anna Beck, M.A.
Alcohol and Other Drug Education Service
2 l4 English/CounselingServicesBldg.
Kansas StateUniversity
Manhattan,KS 66506-6503
(18s)s32-6927
The intent of Higher Education is to provide
accurate, timely infomzation represenling the
current state of alcohol/drug htowledge. Keep in
mind that research on thesematters continues daily
and is subject to change. It is our intention to keep
you informed, not to diagnose or treat illness. For
personal alcohol and other drug problems, please
consult your physician or counselor.
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