alcohol

Alcohol and Caffeine Can be a Recipe for Disaster

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Mixing alcohol with other beverages is nothing new. Bartenders and mixologists have made a living by coming up with different concoctions for consumers. Alcohol and caffeine has been one such combination that has proven to be dangerous for some. Research indicates that mixing alcohol and caffeine can increase the risk for addiction.

Due to the amount of caffeine in the alcohol mixture, consumers tend to drink more in an evening than those who are not consuming this type of drink. Since the caffeine allows a person to stay up longer and it counteracts the drowsiness, they tend to drink more. The dangers of alcohol and caffeine are so grave that many states have started banning drinks like Four Loko. Four Loko is a caffeinated beer that is the equivalent of four beers and a cup of coffee.

With the increased heart rate combined with the intoxicating effects of the alcohol, the toll that caffeinated alcohol beverages take on the body is a risk that many warn is not worth taking. Despite states beginning to ban caffeinated alcoholic beverages, there is really nothing preventing bartenders from combining alcohol and caffeine. Depending on the regulations of the bar or restaurant, a bartender pretty much has free range.

Alcohol by itself tends to make people tired, this is because alcohol is a depressant. Researchers state that the tired feeling that a person receives after consuming alcohol is usually a big reason why they stop drinking for the night. When people consume alcohol with caffeine they no longer receive that tired feeling, so they do not feel as compelled to stop drinking. The more a person goes out and orders caffeine and alcohol the more likely they are to make poor decisions, drink more and ultimately the more at risk they are for developing an alcohol addiction.

In order to prevent caffeine and alcohol from harming someone it is best not to mix the two drinks. Experts agree that those who stay away from alcohol and caffeine mixtures have a better chance at not becoming addicted to alcohol in their lifetime.

Alcohol-Related Sleep Disturbances Can Last Long After a Person Stops Drinking

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Most people know that drunken sleep is the worst sleep. Even if excessive alcohol consumption causes one to “pass out,” it is seriously detrimental to sleep quality. A study published early this year determined that the more a person drank, the faster they were able to fall asleep. Then, despite the amount of alcohol consumed, the participants experienced deep sleep during the first half of the night. However, researchers also found that sleep disruption, or waking after falling asleep, increased during the second half of the night.

Now, researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) are looking at how this alcohol-related sleep disruption actually happens. According to an article published in the online journal, Behavioral Brain Research, this disruption of the sleep cycle can occur in people who are actively drinking, suffering from withdrawal, or even when fully abstaining.

“Sleep-wake disturbances can last for months, or even years, after someone stops drinking, which indicates that chronic alcohol abuse could cause long-term negative effects on sleep,” said the article’s senior author, Subial Datta, BUSM professor of psychiatry and neurology.

The article explains how chronic alcohol use leads to dysfunction of cholinergic cells (cells that synthesize neurotransmitter acetylcholine) in an area of the brain stem involved in regulating many aspects of sleep. The disruption in the normal sleep cycle occurs as the activity of chemicals that excite neurons in the brain increases.

The article goes on to mention that although significant progress has been made in identifying the health risks of alcohol abuse and addiction, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms that lead to sleep-wake disorders related to alcohol are poorly understood. As a result, Datta notes that more research is needed to identify exactly how these neurological changes are happening so that scientists may be able to create medications to treat alcohol-related sleep disorders in the future.

Alcohol Ads Targeting Teens

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A study conducted by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) took a look at alcohol advertising and what demographic is most likely to be targeted. What they found is startling to some – ads for alcohol are being seen most by under-aged drinkers. In fact, when this was further investigated, researchers found that some of the most popular alcohol brands were behind the movement to target those under the legal drinking age.

Bud Light and Coors Light beer as well as Smirnoff and Absolut vodka were the biggest offenders. Their ads are placed in areas that have a heavy teen traffic pattern. These companies are taking out ads in magazines such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, US Weekly and Vogue – whose following are largely readers under 21.

The study is the first of its kind. No other research group has taken a look at the amount of exposure a younger demographic has towards alcohol ads. According to the study, males between the ages of 18 and 20 are nine times more likely to view ads related to alcoholic beverages, specifically the alcoholic beverages made by Bud Light beer. Females in the same age group are five times more likely to see ads for Bud Light beer.

One of the researchers commented on the oddity that Bud Light beer and other top alcoholic beverage companies would spend so much money on advertising to those who cannot legally purchase their product. There is not much government regulation when it comes to alcohol advertising. Generally, the alcohol companies regulate themselves. Most companies do not advertise in magazines that where more than 30 percent of the readers are under the age of 21. In the case of these companies, they are doing the exact opposite.

While the researchers are not saying that the alcohol companies are doing this on purpose, they are pointing out that this practice has to change. Some may speculate that they are trying to build brand loyalty before the legal drinking age, but advertising to them now certainly can have negative consequences.

Can Driving Regulations Reduce Underage Drinking?

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One of the biggest things in life that most teenagers look forward to is the ability to drive a care, legally, by themselves. The freedom of finally being able to go somewhere without having to rely on someone else can be exhilarating for a 16 yr old. So how can driving regulations possibly reduce the amount of underage alcohol consumption?

Several practices that were recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General are credited with lowering teenage drinking in recent years, as indicated by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The tactics have included restriction on young drivers being allwed to drive at night, and strict license suspension policies surrounding these regulations. In addition to the driving issue, additional areas of were partnerships between college campuses and the community, and routine screening by physicians to identify and counsel underage drinkers.

According to NIAAA acting director Kenneth Warren, Ph.D., “The downward trend in underage drinking and alcohol-related traffic deaths indicates that certain policies and programs put in place at the federal, state, and local levels have had an impact.”

Overeall alcohol use and heavy drinking have declined among 8th- 10th- and 12th-grade students. One study indicated that alcohol use among high school seniors dropped from more than 66 percent in 2007 down to 62 percent in 2013. While these aren’t dramatic results, it does show statistically valid improvement.

Of course laws and regulations alone cannot be the primary factors, but every little bit helps. Reducing underage drinking helps do cut down on traffic accidents, unwanted pregnancies, the spread of STDs and much more.