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ABSTRACT
Age at first use has been extensively studied in various substances, but remains unexplored in energy drinks. Recent studies suggest adolescent energy drink consumption is linked to alcohol misuse and high-risk motor vehicle behaviors. This study examined energy drink age at first use and high-risk motor vehicle behaviors among a sample (N = 468) of college students. Consumption of energy drinks at an earlier age predicted high-risk motor vehicle behaviors including driving after having too much alcohol, driving with a perceived blood alcohol content above the .08 limit, and knowingly choosing to ride with someone who had consumed too much alcohol. However, when controlling for various 30-day drinking behaviors, age at first energy drink use significantly predicted only driving with a perceived blood alcohol content above the .08 limit (p < .05), while number of days drunk during the past 30 days was shown to be a stronger predictor (p < .05) for all three high-risk driving behaviors.