In a rare case of caffeine overdose, a teenager from South Carolina in the United States died last month. Davis Cripe, 16 years old, collapsed in class after downing a carbonated drink, a latte and an energy drink. He drank these caffeine-laced drinks within a span of two hours.
According to a Philadephia CBS report, the coroner assessed that ingesting that much caffeine led to a “cardiac event,” which eventually caused Cripe’s death.
Caffeine Overdose – How It Happens
The report also cites what a toxicologist, Dr. Mike Kowalski says about the effect of these drinks on our bodies. He says that it can cause a “series of affects” such as seizures. He adds, “It can send you into bad heart rhythms.”
According to a Forbes report, caffeine overdose happens when caffeine intake is too much. Because it is a stimulant, it can make your heart beat faster and cause a rhythm problem. When this happens, the heart will just give up. This usually happens when one consumes more than 500 mg. of caffeine.
Each large energy drink contains 250 mg. of caffeine so downing two of these will start your heart racing. A cup of coffee only has 80 to 100 mg so a five-cup limit makes sense. In the case of Cripe, he drank an energy drink, a cup of coffee and a soft drink, putting his consumption to over the 500 mg limit.
Parents Warned: No Energy Drinks For Kids And Teens
Cripe’s parents also told CBS that their son’s death should be seen as a warning to parents. Kids and teenagers nowadays experience so much pressure in school and they sometimes turn to energy drinks to keep them going. This practice however is not healthy.
While the American Beverage Association says that these drinks can be safely consumed in moderation, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that kids “should not consume” them at all. The AAP has issued a clinical report that energy drinks contain substances that are harmful for children and adolescents.