Effects of caffeine on alcohol reinforcement: beverage choice, self-administration, and subjective ratings
Open accessAbstract
Rationale Combining alcohol and caffeine is associated with increased alcohol consumption, but no prospective experimental studies have examined whether added caffeine increases alcohol consumption.Objectives This study examined how caffeine alters alcohol self-administration and subjective reinforcing effects in healthy adults.Methods Thirty-one participants completed six double-blind alcohol self-administration sessions: three sessions with alcohol only (e.g., beverage A) and three sessions with alcohol and caffeine (e.g., beverage B). Participants chose which beverage to consume on a subsequent session (e.g., beverage A or B). The effects of caffeine on overall beverage choice, number of self-administered drinks, subjective ratings (e.g., Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale), and psychomotor performance were examined.Results A majority of participants (65%) chose to drink the alcohol beverage containing caffeine on their final self-administration session. Caffeine did not increase the number of self-administered drinks. Caffeine significantly increased stimulant effects, decreased sedative effects, and attenuated decreases in psychomotor performance attributable to alcohol. Relative to nonchoosers, caffeine choosers reported overall lower stimulant ratings and reported greater drinking behavior prior to the study.Conclusions Although caffeine did not increase the number of self-administered drinks, most participants chose the alcohol beverage containing caffeine. Given the differences in subjective ratings and pre-existing differences in self-reported alcohol consumption for caffeine choosers and nonchoosers, these data suggest that decreased stimulant effects of alcohol and heavier self-reported drinking may predict subsequent choice of combined caffeine and alcohol beverages. These predictors may identify individuals who would benefit from efforts to reduce risk behaviors associated with combining alcohol and caffeine.
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The data on alcohol-mixed energy drinks are equivocal, with studies showing that caffeine combined with alcohol does not always increase the amount of alcohol consumed or does not have an impact on risk taking behavior.
“These data are equivocal, however, with studies showing that caffeine combined with alcohol does not always increase the amount of alcohol consumed (240) or does not have an impact on risk taking behavior (235, 241).”
From The Safety of Ingested Caffeine: A Comprehensive Review (2017) · cites this paper as [240]
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Teijeiro, A., García, G., Guerra-Tort, C., Candal‐Pedreira, C., Rey‐Brandariz, J., Mourino, N., & Pérez‐Ríos, M. (2025) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-32047-7_82-1
- Authors
- Sweeney, M. M., Meredith, S. E., Evatt, D. P., & Griffiths, R. R.
- Affiliations
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Sweeney, Mary M.
- Venue
- Psychopharmacology
- Published
- 2017-01-20
- Volume
- 234
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 877-888
- ISSN
- 0033-3158 (ISSN-L)
- 1432-2072
- PMC
- PMC5382720
- OpenAlex
- W2575415458
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 1.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Psychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (T32DA07209)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Coffee research and impacts
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
- Keywords
- caffeine, alcohol reinforcement, beverage choice, alcohol self-administration, stimulant effects, sedative effects, psychomotor performance, alcohol history, risk-taking
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Alcohol Drinking, Alcoholic Beverages, Central Nervous System Stimulants, Breath Tests, Caffeine, Choice Behavior, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Male, Psychomotor Performance, Reinforcement, Psychology, Risk-Taking, Self Administration, Young Adult, Self Report
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