Energy Drinks, Drug Use and the Developing Brain
New research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has found that university students who regularly consume energy drinks are more likely to develop alcohol use disorders later in life. The same students are also at greater risk of future cocaine use and/or nonmedical use of prescription stimulants.
Consumption of energy drinks was not found, however, to be a predictor of future marijuana and/or tobacco use. This latest study backs up previous work conducted on animals which suggests that caffeine can prime the still-developing teenage brain for later drug use. That said, a direct link between the consumption of energy drinks during adolescence and an increased risk of future drug use in humans was not found.
The authors suggest that future research into the effects of energy drinks on the developing brain is needed in order to guide policy and prevention initiatives.
