Beware of mixing alcohol with energy drinks (AmEDs) such as Red Bull, as at the the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions have found that it can actually lead to more casual and risky sex.
The study is a part of a larger project being funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Kathleen E. Miller, one of the study's authors, says that these AmEDs mixed with booze could be a contributing factor to the "hook-up culture" prevalent on so many college campuses:
"Mixing energy drinks with alcohol can lead to unintentional overdrinking, because the caffeine makes it harder to assess your own level of intoxication. AmEDs have stronger priming effects than alcohol alone. In other words, they increase the craving for another drink, so that you end up drinking more overall."
Obviously, the fact that all this sexing around is taking place on campus grounds isn't really all that surprising. And if there's any consolation, the combination of factors appears to have no effect on their ability to practice protected sex (phew!):Regardless of their AmED use, participants in the study were more likely to use a condom during sex with a casual partner than during sex with a steady partner, consistent with previous research.
via EurekAlert
