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Does Mixing Alcohol and Energy Drinks Boost Urge To Drink?

A new study suggests that mixing alcohol with energy drinks makes you want to keep the party going.

Does Mixing Alcohol and Energy Drinks Boost Urge To Drink?
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Perhaps we could all be scientists. A new study suggests mixing alcohol and energy drinks gives you — wait for it — more energy to stay up and drink more.

In that study from the Australian National University, 75 young adults were given either vodka mixed with soda water or vodka mixed with an energy drink. (Via Getty Images

You guessed it: The ones who had the energy drink wanted to keep the party going. (Via Getty Images for Belvedere)

It's not really a new idea. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long warned, "Drinkers who consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks are 3 times more likely to binge drink (based on breath alcohol levels) than drinkers who do not report mixing alcohol with energy drinks."

The researchers went on to express their concern that this increased desire could lead to dangerous actions such as drunk driving or violence — not to mention all the health dangers that come along with binge drinking. 

Newsweek suggested the drink's sweet taste could also be a reason why the subjects wanted more. 

And DailyRx clarified that having an energy drink mixed with alcohol does not actually make you drunker, it just makes you want to consume more. 

So now we know alcoholic energy drinks can lead to binge drinking, but we've always known energy drinks aren't so great for us.

Harvard researchers found drinks packed with sugar to be one of the major contributors to America's obesity epidemic. 

And this recent study shows energy drinks by themselves can actually cause dangerous heart contractions. 

CTV News published an article in March about energy drinks being linked to depression and substance abuse in teens.

This recent study says alcoholic energy drinks only affect your desire to keep drinking, so it's up to you whether to call it a night.