We’ve written stories about the dangers of soda and those other sugary drinks loaded with caffeine because they are readily available and used by many to make it through the day, including teens (even though they aren’t totally safe). Sadly, just last month, high school student Davis Allen Cripe collapsed in his classroom at Spring Hill High School in South Carolina. He was just 16 years old. Our heart goes out to his grieving family.

In a news conference on Monday, the Richland County Coroner announced that Cripe’s death was from a “caffeine-induced cardiac event causing a probable arrhythmia” (during an arrhythmia the heart may not be able to pump enough blood to the body, and lack of blood flow affects the brain, heart and other organs). The day he died, Cripe had consumed a cafe latte, a large Diet Mountain Dew, and an energy drink- all in a two-hour period.
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According to the coroner, the autopsy showed the teen was healthy, had no undiagnosed heart conditions nor did he have a condition that could have triggered by the caffeine intake. There was no other drugs or alcohol found in his system.
Gary Watts, the coroner said, “This was not an overdose. We lost Davis from a totally legal substance. Our purpose here today is to let people know, especially our young kids in school, that these drinks can be dangerous, and be very careful with how you use them, and how many you drink on a daily basis.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children aged 12 to 18 shouldn’t consume more than 100 milligrams of caffeine per day (an intake of caffeine greater than that has been associated with elevated blood pressure in adolescents).

Source: CNN