To Drinking and to Drink

[Yeleandraht]

Hello,
I was reading some nutrition news and i found this:
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The ABA says that this survey also shows that the caffeine children and teens get from energy drinks is equivalent TO DRINKING less than one can of energy per day;
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I would like to know, why in this sentence they put TO DRINKING and not TO DRINK; well....
As i am concerned when we use the gerund, we put FOR, " FOR DRINKING", or we use the infinitive TO DRINK, but never together " TO DRINKING".
is there any exception for that?

Please, could someone explain to me...

Thanks in addition..

:)

Regards,

[Mister Micawber]

'To' is not always the infinitive particle; it is also a preposition. Here it is associated with an adjective, which is a reasonably common formation, and its prepositional object is, of course, a noun - a gerund:

Equivalent to drinking
Looking forward to seeing
Addicted to snowboarding

etc.
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's