title: Co-ingestion of energy drinks with alcohol and other substances among a sample of people who regularly use ecstasy.
abstract: Despite the potential harms of mixing unregulated drugs with energy drinks (ED), research to date has primarily been focused on EDs co-ingested with alcohol. Consequently, the aim of the present study was to explore the rate of use, harms and correlates of EDs co-ingested with alcohol and other drugs among a sample of people who regularly use illicit stimulant drugs.
  
  
  
  In 2010, 693 Australians who regularly used ecstasy completed a 1-h interview about their past six-month ED and drug use.
  
  
  
  Three-quarters of the sample (77%) had recently consumed EDs with other substances, primarily alcohol (70%) and ecstasy (57%). People who consumed ED with alcohol versus those who had consumed ED with ecstasy and with alcohol (only 8% reported only consuming ED with ecstasy) had similar profiles in regards to demographics, drug use, mental health and drug-related problems. Primary motives for consuming ED with alcohol included increased alertness (59%), the taste (25%), to party for longer (23%) and to combat fatigue (16%). One-half (52%) and one-quarter (27%) of participants who consumed EDs with alcohol and with ecstasy respectively had recently experienced adverse outcomes post-consumption, primarily headaches (24% and 11%) and heart palpitations (21% and 14%).
  
  
  
  Co-ingestion of EDs with licit and illicit drugs is common among people who regularly use ecstasy and related drugs. Adverse outcomes of co-ingestion suggest that targeted education regarding negative interactive drug effects is crucial for harm reduction. [Peacock A, Sindicich N, Dunn M, Whittaker E, Sutherland R, Entwistle G, Burns L, Bruno R. Co-Ingestion of Energy Drinks with Alcohol and Other Substances among a Sample of People Who Regularly Use Ecstasy. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:352-358].
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine (Psychology), University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sindicich
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Whittaker
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Entwistle
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Lucinda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine (Psychology), University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
authors.forename: Raimondo
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6673-833X
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bruno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D061215:Energy Drinks; D005260:Female; D040261:Harm Reduction; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
keywords: alcohol; caffeine; ecstasy; energy drink; stimulant