Caffeinated alcohol banned at Hurlburt Field

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joe McFadden
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Due to their high alcohol content ratio, caffeinated alcoholic beverages are no longer being sold on Hurlburt Field.

As a potent combination of 12 percent alcohol, two coffee cups full of caffeine and more than 600 calories of guarana, taurine and sugar, the drinks have caused quite a stir not just among drinkers, but several universities, states and the Food and Drug Administration.

And while they're still available for purchase outside Hurlburt Field's gates, caffeinated alcohol's side effects may make drinking-age Airmen and civilians think twice before chugging one down.

"Most people who drink this think they are drinking one drink," said Capt. Corey Carnes, 1st Special Operations Medical Operations Squadron Psychological Resiliency program chief and clinical social worker. "But the can is not a 12-ounce one; it's 23.5 ounces. When consuming this, you are drinking the alcoholic equivalent of five cans of beer."

As if the alcoholic content (one can equals four tequila shots) was not enough of an issue, Captain Carnes cautioned that the other herbal stimulants added in the drink need to be further evaluated.

"People should be aware that some of the supplements in these products such as guarana, ginseng, and gingko biloba are not regulated by the FDA," he said. "There are no limits on how much your drink can contain or FDA research to show the effects of these ingredients on the body."

In addition to the herbal supplements, the pairing of a depressant like alcohol and a stimulant like caffeine do not negate each other's consequences. Not only do they both affect the body in different ways; in concert, they lead to dehydration, causing the person to want to drink more.

Captain Carnes said the effects of both extreme thirst and overstimulation can be a potentially deadly combination.

"Stimulants not only cause an individual to feel less alcohol-impaired, they counteract the body's natural attempt to become tired or pass out when the body has consumed too much alcohol," Captain Carnes said. "So a person may think it's OK to drink more, and this often leads to greater intoxication, which may lead to potential health risks like alcohol poisoning, risk-taking or even death."

It's for those reasons the drink has recently grasped the attention of health professionals, college administrations and vendors alike.

After several hospitalizations for people bingeing on caffeinated alcohol, some states, like Washington and Michigan, have banned the sale of these products outright. Other states like Oklahoma and New York have either ordered the drinks to no longer be delivered or have suspended future deliveries.

The FDA stepped into the controversy by issuing a warning in a Nov. 17 press release to manufacturers of four companies that add caffeine to their malt alcoholic beverages labeling the mix as an "unsafe food additive."

"FDA does not find support for the claim that the addition of caffeine to these alcoholic beverages is 'generally recognized as safe,' which is the legal standard," said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, FDA principal deputy commissioner in the release. "To the contrary, there is evidence that the combinations of caffeine and alcohol in these products pose a public health concern."

As the debate over caffeinated alcohol continues to brew and the potential for more vendors to pull the item off their shelves increases, Airmen and civilians are advised to drink responsibly and make safe decisions.

For more information on the risks of alcohol abuse, contact the Hurlburt Field Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Treatment at (850) 881-4237.