Co-Ingestion of Energy Drinks with Alcohol & Other Substances among a Sample of People Who Regularly Use Ecstasy

Despite the potential harms of mixing unregulated drugs with energy drinks (ED), research to date has primarily been focused on EDs co-ingested with alcohol. Consequently, the aim of the present study was to explore the rate of use, harms and correlates of EDs co-ingested with alcohol and other drugs among a sample of people who regularly use illicit stimulant drugs.

In 2010, 693 Australians who regularly used ecstasy completed a 1-h interview about their past six-month ED and drug use.

• Three-quarters of the sample (77%) had recently consumed EDs with other substances, primarily alcohol (70%) and ecstasy (57%). 
• People who consumed ED with alcohol versus those who had consumed ED with ecstasy and with alcohol (only 8% reported only consuming ED with ecstasy) had similar profiles in regards to demographics, drug use, mental health and drug-related problems. 
• Primary motives for consuming ED with alcohol included 
• increased alertness (59%), 
• the taste (25%), 
• to party for longer (23%) 
• and to combat fatigue (16%). 
• One-half (52%) and one-quarter (27%) of participants who consumed EDs with alcohol and with ecstasy respectively had recently experienced adverse outcomes post-consumption, primarily headaches (24% and 11%) and heart palpitations (21% and 14%).

Co-ingestion of EDs with licit and illicit drugs is common among people who regularly use ecstasy and related drugs. Adverse outcomes of co-ingestion suggest that targeted education regarding negative interactive drug effects is crucial for harm reduction.

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By: Peacock A1, Sindicich N2, Dunn M3, Whittaker E2, Sutherland R2, Entwistle G2, Burns L2, Bruno R1.

• 1School of Medicine (Psychology), University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
• 2National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
• 3School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia. 

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