ATLANTA (WAOK) – - A new study suggests that diet soda makes alcoholic drinks more potent than their full-calorie counterparts. Researchers at Northern Kentucky University found that students who drank vodka with diet soda got intoxicated faster than those who mixed regular soda. They also became about 20-percent more intoxicated. The scientists say sugar in a mixed drink slows down the effects of alcohol. They note that the stomach treats the combination as if it’s food, taking more time to digest and delaying the release of alcohol into the system. The research is published in the journal “Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.”