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A recent study suggests that energy drinks are correlated with substance abuse, unsafe sex and other self-destructive activity.

A new study suggests that energy drinks are correlated with substance abuse, unsafe sexual activity and other self-destructive activity.

The study, conducted by the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions and recently published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, claims that frequent energy drink consumers were three times more likely to smoke cigarettes, abuse drugs and engage in physical violence.

Frequent consumption is considered drinking six or more energy drinks a month, according to the study.

Bernie Storms, director for the Family Guidance Center for Behavioral Healthcare addiction treatment services, said anything in excess can create problems. Energy drinks often have high levels of caffeine, which makes them especially dangerous for adolescents, she said.

“Young people’s bodies are physiologically not matured yet, so this kind of stuff has a greater impact on them than it does adults,” Ms. Storms said.

Study leader Kathleen E. Miller said in a United Press International article that energy drinks can contain up to 10 times as much caffeine as what’s found in other soft drinks.

About 800 Buffalo-area male and female undergraduate students participated in the study, according to the article. And about two-thirds of the energy drink consumers in the study had mixed energy drinks with alcoholic beverages.

“It is widely but incorrectly believed that the caffeine in energy drinks counteracts the effects of alcohol,” Ms. Miller said in the article.

Ms. Storms said that mixing the two can create problems, since initially alcohol itself acts as a stimulant. Mixing energy drinks with alcohol is like putting a stimulant on top of another stimulant, which intensifies the effects.

“Ultimately, alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and people will come down from that, but the damage is done,” Ms. Storms said. “When someone comes down off of alcohol and caffeine at the same time, they’re not going to feel very well at all.”

Alonzo Weston can be reached at alonzow@npgco.com.