Dr. Conrad Woolsey, director of the sport and performance psychology program and faculty member of the Northwest Center for Lifestyle and Functional Medicine, recently published a research article in the American Journal on Addictions which examined the relationship of alcohol, energy drinks, and non-medical prescription stimulant use among high school students. The use of alcohol mixed with energy drinks has become a common practice among many adolescents, so Dr. Woolsey and fellow researchers were interested in examining how this behavior relates to other risky substance abuse behaviors. The study utilized data from a national sample of 12th grade high school students who participated in the Monitoring the Future Study. The data indicated that high school seniors who consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks were at a high risk to misuse prescription stimulants for non-medical purposes. The researchers found a correlation between increased frequency of alcohol mixed with energy drinks and increased frequency of both Ritalin and Adderall. While this research team has published several studies examining alcohol and energy drink consumption among college students, this study is one of the first to examine younger students. The research team conducting this new study included lead researcher Dr. Jeff Housman and Dr. Ronald Williams Jr., both of Texas State University. Read more here.
