U.S. teen’s death after caffeine binge sparks concern over energy drinks
TORONTO — The death of a 16-year-old South Carolina boy from a probable caffeine-induced heart arrhythmia has renewed concerns about the risks of young people consuming energy drinks and other beverages containing high levels of the stimulant.
Davis Cripe died April 26 after drinking a large Mountain Dew, a latte from McDonald’s and an energy drink over a two-hour period before collapsing in his classroom.
The Chapin, S.C., high school student was a healthy teenager with no pre-existing heart condition, local coroner Gary Watts said Monday in releasing the cause of death.
Consuming excessive caffeine can speed up the heart rate and in some cases lead to an arrhythmia, a condition in which the electrical impulses that co-ordinate the heartbeat go awry, causing the heart to beat too fast, too slow or in an irregular pattern.