Alcohol and caffeine are an unhealthy mix for teens

By Staff Writer

In recent weeks, alcoholic energy drinks such as Four Loko have made headlines for endangering the health of many teenagers. While experts agree that alcohol and caffeine should not be mixed, as of yet there are no studies explaining why.

The combination appears to impair a drinker's judgment more than drinking alcohol alone, according to the LA Times. That has led to what some researchers call "toxic-jock syndrome."

As a stimulant, caffeine increases blood pressure, heart rate and, in some cases, causes heart palpitations and an irregular heartbeat. Caffeine also leads to headaches, jitteriness, agitation, stomach problems and abnormal breathing. Comparatively, alcohol is a depressant that slows the brain's functioning and impairs one's ability to walk, talk and think clearly. When mixed, the stimulant and the depressant do not cancel each other out.

Instead, the caffeine appears to override the natural sleepiness that occurs when someone drinks alcohol. It also delays the feeling of drunkenness, so those who drink an alcoholic energy drink are likely to keep drinking beyond their normal limits.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 2009 Monitoring the Future Survey revealed that 37 percent of eighth graders have experimented with alcohol.