Drew James consumed a lot of caffeine. Whether energy drinks, soda or sweet tea, the 19-year-old from Nassau County loved caffeine. In January after going to the movies with a friend, he collapsed at a friend’s home in Bryceville. According to www.jacksonville.com, he had consumed an energy drink on his way home. After drinking half of a can of Monster Nitrous, he fell backwards and began seizing. He never woke up. The medical examiner suspected drugs, and he found it of sorts. James had a heart thicker than the normal heart, according to the report. The leading theory behind his death is that the caffeine triggered his heart to beat irregularly. He had caffeine, nicotine and traces of marijuana in his urine. With the exception of the marijuana, they are all legal drugs.
Our hearts go out to the family members of James who lost this teen so young in life from a hazard that no one understood.
Liability Considerations
James’ mother, Cheryl, wants to require energy drink makers to list on the can the amount of caffeine in their products and to provide specific health warnings. Monster Nitrous advises people to “consume responsibly” by limiting themselves to three cans a day. The amount of caffeine is not listed. Mayo Clinic says that consuming two to four cups of coffee a day, or about 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine, is not harmful. Double that can cause a fast or irregular heartbeat, headache and anxiety. A friend of the family writes to the news that the drugs were found in his urine, not his blood and had he been a regular consumer of marijuana it would have been in his blood. He had reportedly been drinking Red Bull on a regular basis, and this family friend writes that the medical examiner told Drew’s mother there were no underlying heart issues. The news doesn’t always get it right.
Hopefully it won’t take losing another child for consumers to understand that there is a danger with highly caffeinated drinks. Many people occasionally suffer from irregular heartbeats that are undiagnosed. Caffeine can interrupt the regular heart rhythm, yet the product is sold right next to juices and water, has no FDA review, and the manufacturer has a responsibility to not just make money, but to better warn the public. In 2008, a group of scientists also called on the FDA to better regulate energy drinks because of the potential dangers. A Florida personal injury attorney and investigator can protect your rights when a dangerous and defective product is on store shelves. Cheryl James just wants the age limited raised to 21 for the drug, caffeine, just like the drug, alcohol is restricted to someone who is older. It sounds reasonable.
