A new study published in a PLOS ONE journal has revealed that teens who reported sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the last year were twice as likely to have consumed energy drinks mixed with alcohol. Additionally, teens who reported having suffered a TBI in the past year were seven times more likely to have consumed at least five energy drinks in the past week.

Energy drinks could potentially interfere with a teens recovery from a TBI. Past research has indicated that consuming energy drinks may increase the natural tendency to engage in risky behavior, which could include underage drinking and mixing alcohol with energy drinks. Additional research suggests that caffeine masks the effects of alcohol, which can make it difficult for someone to know when they are intoxicated. Among teens, this could result in reckless behavior like driving after consuming alcohol. The research study also suggests that adolescents who sustained a TBI while playing sports had a higher tendency to consume energy drinks than others with a brain injury. Researchers cannot prove a causal link, but do say that the effects of energy drinks on brains that have sustained serious injury need to be researched more thoroughly.

Data suggests that about 50 percent of adolescents consume energy drinks, and about one-third of teens drink energy drinks on a regular basis. An American Heart Association study in 2013 previously revealed that energy drinks can increase blood pressure and disturb heart rhythm. As more and more teens turn to energy drinks as their beverage of choice, research must be completed to ensure that consumers understand how energy drinks impact teen health. If you or someone you know has suffered injury or illness after consuming an energy drink, you may be entitled to file a lawsuit for your pain and suffering.

For a free case review, contact an injury attorney at Goldberg Finnegan by calling (888) 213-8140 or fill out a contact form.