Alcoholic Energy Drinks: Pre-mixed versus “Mix-your-own”

This study examines the association of pre-mixed versus “mix your own” (MYO) alcoholic energy drinks and high-risk drinking behaviors among college students. Data are from a 2007 web-based survey of 3,813 students from eight NC universities.

2,669 (70%) students were past 30-day drinkers. Among past 30-day drinkers, 1,755 (46%) reported past 30-day heavy episodic drinking. 704 of past 30-day drinkers (26%) reported consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AME) in the last 30 days; these students reported consuming more drinks on their heaviest drinking day than non-AME (p<0.001; 8.6 drinks for AME vs. 5.6 drinks for non-AME). 306 (11.5%) of all past 30-day drinkers reported drinking alcohol mixed with energy drink on their most recent binge occasion.

Among students who reported drinking AME, 59 (8.4%) consumed pre-mixed energy drinks only; 393 (55.8%) reported MYO; 249 (35.4%) consumed both pre-mixed and MYO. There were differences among these students in drinking quantity on the heaviest reported drinking day (2 df p=.0016; 6.8 drinks for pre-mixed drinkers only, 8.7 drinks for MYO only and 8.7 drinks for MYO + pre-mixed).

In multivariable analyses, there were differences among AME drinkers with regard to heavy episodic drinking (p=.003; 72.8% of pre-mixing students, 86.7% of MYO students and 90.1% of students reporting both) and drunkenness (p=.036; 63.5% of pre-mixing students, 75.4% of MYO students and 79.9% of students reporting both).

Previous research has shown that college students who consume AME are at significantly higher risk for serious alcohol-related consequences. Implications for policy and interventions are discussed.