Caffeine Death: South Carolina Teen Died Of Too Much Caffeine, Coroner Says

COLUMBIA, SC — A coroner’s report has concluded an otherwise healthy 16-year-old boy died of too much caffeine after consuming several caffeine-laden drinks on April 26, according to multiple media reports. Davis Allen Cripe died from a caffeine-induced cardiac event causing a probable arrhythmia, Richland County Coroner Gary Watts announced in a news conference Monday.

Watts said Cripe had purchased a latte at McDonald's around 12:30 p.m and then drank a Diet Mountain Dew and an energy drink, according to CNN. Davis collapsed at the school in Chapin, near Columbia, just before 2:30 p.m. and, according to Watts, was pronounced dead at 3:40 p.m. (To receive the latest Columbia, South Carolina news alerts and breaking news please subscribe here.)

Energy drinks can cause heart problems, according to a study reported by Patch earlier this month. While the study itself was small and only included 24 subjects, it points to health concerns associated with energy drinks which have increased in popularity in the last 15 years.

According to the coroner's report, Davis' autopsy showed no heart conditions and no other drugs or alcohol were found in the teen's system. He said the caffeine drinks led the teen to suffer from arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat, the New York Daily News reports.

Richland County Coroner Gary Watts in press conference discussed the death of Davis Cripe due to large amounts of caffeine. pic.twitter.com/KzsGTMRj26
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At the news conference, Watts 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," he said.

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