In our society, it almost seems like second nature to take a drunk friend or family member and give them a strong cup of black coffee to sober them up. After all, people respond to a cup of coffee better than being forcefully placed in a cold shower.

Another common approach is to try and prevent oneself from getting drunk in the first place by mixing alcohol with energy drinks. Some of the popular alcohol-energy drink combinations include vodka and Red Bull, the Electric Screwdriver, the Race Horse, the Scorpion Tongue Vodka Shot, and the Jager Bomb.

While these alcohol and energy drink combos give you energy to party all night, do they really do anything to reduce blood alcohol concentration (BAC)? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "caffeine has no effect on the metabolism of alcohol by the liver and thus does not reduce breath alcohol concentrations."

The CDC reports that mixing alcohol with energy drinks:

• Masks [not reduces] the depressant effects of alcohol.
• Increases the risk of binge drinking by 3 times.
• Increases the risk of being taken advantage of sexually – about twice more than people who drink alcohol without energy drinks.

Drinking coffee after having several drinks or mixing energy drinks with alcohol is a popular practice, especially among young drinkers. Many young drinkers think they can sober up with caffeine after binge drinking, or they think they can avoid getting drunk by mixing alcohol with energy drinks.

Unfortunately, a "Vodka Bull" or a "Red Bomb" or a "Jager Bomb" (Jagermeister and Red Bull) will do absolutely nothing to prevent one's BAC from rising. That is because caffeine has zero effect on BAC.

Drinkers report that drinking coffee after alcohol, or mixing caffeine with their alcohol helps them feel more alert, coordinated, and less drunk, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Clinical research found that when people consume caffeine (a stimulant) before, during, or after drinking alcohol (a depressant), their ability to accurately assess their own level of intoxication is reduced. Often, this error in judgement leads to drunk driving, DUI injuries and fatalities.

For more information on caffeine and alcohol, click here.

Were you arrested for DUI after having alcohol and caffeine? Contact a DUI defense attorney at once for an aggressive defense!