New research suggests that people who mix alcohol with their energy drinks may experience an increased desire to drink.

According to national surveys reported by the CDC, approximately one in six American adults binge drinks about four times per month.

Study participants who drank alcohol with energy beverages reported enjoying their cocktail much more than those who were drinking alcohol alone. These findings suggest that adding energy drinks to alcoholic beverages may serve to increase the likelihood of binge drinking.

The study looked at 75 participants between the ages of 18 and 30 years who were randomly assigned to either consume a beverage mixed with alcohol and an energy drink, or to an alcohol-only drink. The researchers found that those who had the mixture of alcohol and an energy beverage had a much stronger urge to continue drinking compared to those who were consuming alcohol alone.

Rebecca McKetin, a fellow at the Australian National University’s Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Well-being and corresponding author of the study is concerned about the effects that mixing alcohol with energy drinks may have on a person’s urge to drink more, as well as the impact such concoctions can have on a person’s overall health.

“A number of cross-sectional studies show that young adults who mix alcohol with energy drinks (A+ED) have higher levels of alcohol consumption than their peers who don’t mix energy drinks with alcohol, and some studies suggest that this practice increases the risk of ‘binge drinking,” said McKetin in a statement.

The study’s researchers suggest that policy makers need to stress the issue of binge drinking, and what factors may be contributing to this dangerous behavior, including the addition of energy drinks to alcoholic cocktails.

The findings of the study will be published in the August 2014 online issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.