This is a perfect example a problem with mainstream media which angers me more than anything else that I can think of:
"A recent study found that college students who mix alcohol and energy drinks engage in increased heavy episodic drinking and have twice as many episodes of weekly drunkenness. College students who reported consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks also had significantly higher prevalence of alcohol-related consequences, like sexual assault and injury."I would be willing to bet money that these people don't drink that much as a result of drinking alcoholic energy drinks like Sparks, but rather that they drink alcoholic energy drinks like Sparks because they are already heavy drinkers, and that not selling them prepackaged drinks like that won't change a damn thing.
Attention everyone involved in the reporting of statistical studies such as this one: correlation does not imply causation. Period. Please stop drawing bullshit conclusions from statistics that you are not qualified to understand or interpret in any meaningful way.