Recent research reveals that teens who consume energy drinks that have high-caffeine content are more likely to be drawn towards alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. Apart from this, personality traits may also determine whether a person is going to fall into drugs and alcohol later on in life. Even though this study has not been able to prove that teens who consume caffeine-laden drinks will grow up to be alcoholics but parents still need to look-out for this habit in their teens. 

A sample of 22,000 students of grade 8, 10 and 12 was taken. Researchers found that around 30% of these students said that they took energy drinks that had high-caffeine content like Red Bull and Monster. A little more than 40% of them consume regular soft drinks on a daily basis and 20% of them take diet soft drinks daily.

Other things that effect beverage-consumption habits

Gender also has an effect on drinking habits. Boys are more likely to consume energy drinks with high amounts of caffeine. The study further reveals that teens that do not have both the parents at home were at a higher risk of developing a habit to drink energy drinks. Similarly teens that lived with parents with a low level of education were more likely to be alcohol-abusers. Surprisingly, it was the 8th graders who consumed more caffeine-laced energy drinks as compared to 10th and 12th graders.
Teens that were consuming energy drinks were two to three times more likely to say that they had recently used alcohol, drugs or smoked cigarettes. Though soft drink consumers also had a chance of ending up as alcoholics, the teens that drank energy drinks were a lot more likely to develop a drinking habit.

Should parents be worried about it?

Though there is no solid proof that teens who consume energy drinks are at a higher risk of growing up to be a substance abuser, parents have to worry. Parents need to educate their teens about the masking effects of caffeine in energy drinks on alcohol and other substance-related impairments.

Personality traits

Among other things that the researcher pointed out to be affecting alcohol-intake of a teen were the personality traits. Teens who were risk-takers and were high sensation seeking were more likely to abuse substance than other teens.