Davis Cripe, a healthy 16-year-old high school student from South Carolina, US, reportedly died of heart problems after excess caffeine intake.
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Cripe collapsed and died in his classroom on April 26, but he was not previously diagnosed with any heart condition which could result into something like this, Richland County Coroner Gary Watts revealed.
It was found that Cripe had a large Mountain Dew, followed by a McDonald's latte and an energy drink just two hours before his heart failed, Associated Press reported.
"We lost Davis from a totally legal substance. It was so much caffeine at the time of his death that it caused arrhythmia," Watts explained in a press conference.
Arrhythmia refers to abnormal heart rhythm that often causes difficulty in pumping sufficient amount of blood from heart to body. The improper blood flow impacts brain, heart and other body organs adversely. It can even lead to death just like in Cripe's case.
The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that children belonging to the age group of 12 to 18 should consume less than 100 milligrams of caffeine per day. Parents are advised to keep a check on their children's caffeine intake to prevent such mishaps from occurring.
"Our purpose is to let people know, especially 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," Watts was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.
