Drinking vodka Red Bulls makes people more likely to get into a fight: Mixing energy drinks and alcohol causes loss of inhibitions and increases risk-taking

Occurs if zebrafish are given alcohol and taurine; a key chemical in energy drinks

The animals then spend more time alone and are less likely to avoid predators

Zebrafish are normally highly social animals that swim in a group

Reduced fear and less socialising increases the risk of fighting and violence

‘Binge drinking and general alcohol misuse is a key problem in the UK’

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

By ALEXANDRA THOMPSON

14 August 2018

Drinking vodka Red Bulls makes people more likely to get into a fight, new research suggests.

Compared to alcohol alone, mixing in energy drinks may cause people to lose their inhibitions and take more risks on a night out, a study found.

When zebrafish are exposed to alcohol and taurine, a key chemical in energy drinks, they are less likely to avoid predators, which is an example of risk-taking behaviour.

Study author Dr Matt Parker, from the University of Portsmouth, said: ‘[Energy drinks and alcohol] together may be exacerbating some of the negative effects of binge drinking.

‘Reduction of fear and problems in social communication while intoxicated increases the risk of fighting [and] violence.

‘People should be aware that drinking energy drinks in combination with alcohol may impair their judgement and should do so with caution.’

How the research was carried out

The researchers analysed the effects of taurine and alcohol on the behaviour of 192 zebrafish.

Zebrafish were chosen because they shoal, which is defined as the animals swimming together in a coordinated way.

Dr Parker added: ‘Zebrafish have similar biological and behavioural responses to alcohol, and are a highly social species, making them ideal for studying the effects of alcohol on behaviour.’

The fish were either exposed to just water, taurine and alcohol separately, or a mixture of taurine and alcohol for one hour.

Their shoaling behaviours were assessed during the first five minutes, between 30 and 35 minutes, and again at 55-to-60 minutes.

The animals’ fear responses were determined after the scientists mimicked a predator.

‘Mixing alcohol and taurine might increase the negative effects of alcohol’

Results suggest zebrafish that are exposed to taurine and alcohol interact with each other less than those given alcohol, or water, alone.

Such animals also show more risky behaviour by spending longer in the presence of a predator.

Dr Parker said: ‘Here, we found that the addition of taurine, an ingredient in many ‘energy’ drinks, appears to exacerbate risky choices in zebrafish, as well as reducing their social cohesion.

‘Taken together, these data appear to suggest that mixing alcohol and taurine might be a factor in increasing some of the negative effects of alcohol.’

Dr Parker believes the findings, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, could have implications for binge drinking globally.

He said: ‘Binge drinking and general alcohol misuse is a key problem in the UK and across the world, with the numbers of hospital admissions resulting from illness or injury following intoxication costing the NHS millions per year.

‘Alcohol reduces our inhibitions, and in low doses can cause relaxation and euphoria. However, in higher doses this low inhibition can cause problems with fighting or risky behaviour.’

Ben Butler, from the charity Drinkaware, added: ‘Mixing alcohol and energy drinks can mean you consume more sugar, calories and caffeine than drinking alcohol by itself. You could also experience increased physical and psychological side effects.

‘Energy drinks can mask the effects of alcohol and make you “wide awake drunk”, so you may underestimate how you’re feeling and end up drinking more alcohol than you normally would.

‘The Chief Medical Officers’ Low Risk Drinking Guidelines advise that to keep the health risks from alcohol to a low level, men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.

‘If you choose to drink, and regularly drink as much as this, it’s best to spread your drinking evenly over three or more days. Alternating between alcoholic drinks and soft drinks is also good way to spread out your drinking on a night out.’