Red Bull + Vodka = Bull

An interesting article in Seed Magazine, entitled, A False Tolerance for Red Bull, tests a popular misconception on college campuses. Students have been mixing vodka with Red Bull, an energy drink, believing that Red Bull moderates the effects of alcohol.

It doesn't. Drinking Red Bull does give the drinker a little energy, so it moderates such internal sensations of intoxication, as sleepiness. In the study, objective measures of reaction time and fine motor coordination still revealed impairment. The person's ability to judge their own intoxication is more impaired. There's a serious risk they'll drink more, miscalculation how drunk they are.

Mixing Red Bull and vodka may make for a good-tasting drink, but it can also raise alcohol intake. In turn, it may increase risks related to intoxication, such as drunk driving or date rape. I hope this data gets publicized on campus, not that many students will listen until it's too late.