Energy Drinks May Trigger Future Substance Use, Says Study (medscape.com)

New research suggests persistent consumption of energy drinks may predispose young adults to substance use. "Investigators, led by Amelia M. Arria, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, found that college students who regularly drink highly caffeinated energy drinks were at increased risk for later use of alcohol, cocaine, or prescription stimulants," reports Medscape. From the report: The research included students enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study that began in 2004 at a large public university. The analysis included 1099 participants (54% women; 72% non-Hispanic white) who completed at least one annual assessment in which patterns of energy drink consumption were assessed. In interviews, participants were asked which energy drinks they had consumed, and how often, in the past year. They were categorized into three patterns of use: Frequent (52 or more days); Occasional (12 - 51 days); Infrequent (1 - 11 days). The investigators found that sensation seeking, conduct problems, and behavioral dysregulation were all positively associated with a higher probability of energy drink consumption, with the nonuse group having the lowest and the persistent group the highest risk scores. The study was published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Comments

Re:How many times?

[Anonymous Coward]

You do realize that the only way you ever conclude "causation" is by first finding "correlation"?

True. Very observant and astute of you.

Why does the idiot slashdot editor need to come to that conclusion without evidence?

Clicks.

This place is getting retarded. They found a way to get lots of clicks (post lots of political bullshit) and now it's in the tank. Just like long time users predicted would happen when a marketing company run by millennials bought it.

It's going to be a steady stream of "this housewife figured out how to impeach trump with this one trick" crap very soon.

Re:Same relation as income?

[ffreeloader]

As someone who spent a decade in active drug addiction I can say from experience that this research has it right. The people who drink highly caffienated drinks on a daily basis over a period of time are developing a psychological, and physical, addiction to a mind altering substance. They drink massive amounts of caffience for the buzz it gives them. And they come to rely on that to get them to an altered mental state.

That altered state is the goal. And that is what addiction is all about. People get to depend on that altered state, and that is the psychological part of addiction, and actually the worst part of addiction. Why? Because the physical addiction is fairly easy to break compared to the mental habit of relying on something outside of yourself to make you feel good. That mental habit is extremely hard to break. That memory that feeling good is only a substance use away.

That buzz off caffiene is a gateway drug effect. Scoff if you want, but as an addict I can tell you that is how an addict thinks. I've been clean for 25 years now and the urge is less than it used to be, but that thought still crosses my mind when I'm having a really bad day.

Re:If you want a kick to the system energy drink

[jellomizer]

I expect that is the reason between the correlation of Energy Drinks and drug dependencies.
If you take a substance any substance, because of the buzz or numbing feeling, (which these feelings often happen when your body is chemically out of wack) then chances are you will get addicted to that feeling and move up.

I drink coffee in the morning, I don't get a buzz, but I like the taste. If I don't have coffee in the morning I function just fine. If I have too much and get a buzz, I don't like the feeling, so I stop. The same is if I am drinking a hard drink. Once I start feeling it, I stop, because I know I had too much. But if I was in search for the Buzzed feeling, chances are I would keep drinking to keep that feeling.