Some Indiana lawmakers want to ban the sale of energy drinks to minors.
Senate Bill 369 would establish a penalty for anyone who sells energy drinks to someone under 18.
One former Indiana resident who now lives in South Carolina says his 16 year old son died from too much caffeine.
In 2017, 16-year-old Davis Cripe collapsed at Spring Hill High School in Chapin, and later died at a local hospital.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watts says the cause of death was caffeine induced irregular heartbeat.
In a two hour period, Cripe drank a large diet Mountain Dew, a café latte and an energy drink.
“I stand before you as a broken-hearted father and hoping that something good can come from this. Parents, please talk to your kids about the dangers of these energy drinks,” says Cripe’s father.
So how much caffeine is considered safe?
“As an adult, they recommend no more than 400 milligrams in a day, and that’s about four cups of coffee,” says Jill Michels from the Palmetto Poison Center.
But you also need to read labels on things like energy drinks because ingredients like guarana and cola nuts have caffeine, too.
The amount of caffeine in energy drinks varies, but just one can have half or more of the daily safe limit for an adult.
A 12-ounce Coke or Pepsi has about 34 milligrams.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and teens have no caffeine at all. No sodas, tea, or coffee.
“What we want to do here today is make people understand that these drinks, this amount of caffeine, how it’s ingested, can have dire consequences, and that’s what happened in this case,” says Watts.
Energy drinks can have serious effects on your body because some have stimulants in addition to caffeine.
A recent study found the blood pressure of people who drink them stays higher for longer than people who drink something with just caffeine.
The Indiana bill was introduced to the Senate Committee on Rules and Legislative Procedure, but has not come up for a vote yet.
