Research Exercise Alcoholic Energy Drinks

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You must read each slide, and complete any questions on the slide, in sequence.

Research Exercise

Alcoholic Energy Drinks

Over the past ten years, energy drinks have become wildly popular among adults and many adolescents. Individuals use these energy drinks to help stay awake for long drives, or to stay up late working on projects, studying for exams, or writing papers. The majority of people who drink energy drinks disregard the health warnings on these beverages. Many college-aged students using these energy drinks also drink alcoholic beverages. Drink manufacturers saw a “captive audience” and developed an energy drink that mixed regular energy drinks with alcohol that would appeal to college-aged individuals. As predicted, most consumers of these beverages did not read the labels or take seriously the health dangers related to these products. This article discusses the dangers of such beverages.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/02/jn.aspx

After the American Psychological Association Monitor article, “The Banning of Alcoholic Energy Drinks”, consider the questions below. Then submit your responses.

1 of 4

What is the percent of alcohol by volume for the alcoholic energy drink, Four Loko?

2 of 4

What was the percent increase in number of drinks consumed in a given month as a result of alcohol advertising?

3 of 4

What makes alcoholic energy drinks so dangerous, yet so appealing to consumers?

One possible answer might be that the caffeine in the energy drinks appears to mask the subjective symptoms of alcohol intoxication without reducing alcohol's actual effects on motor and visual functioning.

4 of 4

How are these drinks promoted on social networking sites?

One possible answer might be that social media may normalize behaviors inappropriately. Young people, who often frequent social networking sites, may get an inaccurate idea from the posts of peers and friends about the frequency of alcohol and drug consumption. They may therefore be at risk of engaging in these risky behaviors because, based on the social media posts, they believe their peers are doing so.

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