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Mixing alcohol with energy drinks is popular among college students. To investigate whether this practice increases the urge to consume more alcohol (i.e., priming effect), researchers randomized 75 participants (median age, 22 years) to drink 60 mL of vodka plus either Red Bull Silver Edition or soda water in a 10-minute period. A pineapple-coconut-fruit drink was added to all drinks to disguise the taste of the other ingredients. None of the participants had a history of alcohol or drug dependence or psychiatric illness. At baseline and 20 minutes, participants completed several rating scales (including one measuring the urge to drink alcohol), and at 30 minutes, researchers measured breath alcohol concentration (BAC).
The two groups did n…