The following is excerpted from an online article posted by Parents
The family of Texas teen cheerleader Larissa Nicole Rodriguez is blaming Alani Nu energy drink for her death. At a news conference, the family’s attorney, Benny Agosto Jr., said the Hidalgo County, Texas, medical examiner determined that the teen’s cause of death “was an enlarged heart due to stress and large amounts of caffeine,” according to NBC News. Rodriguez drank the energy drink often, but it had “inadequate warnings” about heart risks, Agosto says
While exposures do not always result in an overdose or poisoning, the 2024 data indicates many kids aren’t aware of the harm energy drinks can cause them.
“It can be challenging for youth to distinguish between drinks that contain caffeine and those that do not,” says Kait Brown, PharmD, DABAT, Clinical Managing Director for America’s Poison Centers.
No matter the specifics of the label, according to Brown, “Energy drinks are not recommended for kids and teens due to the amount of sugar and caffeine they contain.”
Also, according to Brown, caffeine can be detrimental to young people both immediately, and over time. “Aside from the potential long-term health effects from drinking sugary-caffeinated beverages, caffeine can increase anxiety, irritability, and sleeplessness in kids and teens,” she says.
Source: Parents
https://www.parents.com/energy-drink-teen-death-11951657