To many adolescents and young adults, energy drinks have become essential for getting through the day. But they carry a serious risk of sudden death, a new study finds. 
 
 An international research team, led by Dr. Fabian Sanchis-Gomar of Madrid, Spain, has concluded that energy drinks are the cause of many sudden cardiac deaths in young, healthy individuals. 
 
 The main concern is that these beverages can easily aggravate underlying heart issues. Because of their high amounts of caffeine and sugar, dangerous arrhythmias can easily develop in the hearts of young people who drink them. 
 
 Many people already balk at the high amounts of labeled caffeine on these drinks. The problem is that there are many additional sources of caffeine that are “masked” by the labeling. 
 
 "Masked" caffeine 
 
 Ingredients such as guarana, ginseng, and taurine have caffeine concentrations that are equal to, or higher than, caffeine found in coffee. Ingesting high doses of any of these substances can be very dangerous. 
 
 Roughly 31% of adolescents from ages 12 to 19 consume energy drinks on a regular basis. An even higher number of people use alternatives to these beverages, such as gums or inhalers. The high amounts of caffeine in all of these products is causing serious harm, the study found. Of the 5,448 caffeine overdoses reported in the United States in 2007, 46% of them occurred in people under the age of 19. The question is, how can we halt this trend of overconsumption by young people? 
 
 Dr. Sanchis-Gomar and his team came up with several guidelines to keep young people from over-indulging. They caution that: 
 
 One can (250 mL) of an energy drink per day is safe for most healthy adolescents. 
 
 Energy drink consumption before or during sports practice should be avoided. 
 
 Adolescents with clinically relevant underlying medical conditions should consult cardiologists before drinking energy drinks. 
 
 Excessive energy drink consumption together with alcohol or other drugs, or both, may lead to adverse effects, including death. 
 
 In the study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, Dr. Sanchis-Gomar goes on to say alerting physicians to the dangers of energy drinks is extremely important. 
 
 “It is important for physicians to understand the lack of regulation in caffeine content and other ingredients of these high-energy beverages,” he said. Knowledge and awareness are key to providing safety for young people. ||||| Published on May 15, 2017 
 
 Davis Allen Cripe died of a caffeine induced cardiac event according to Richland County coroner Gary Watts. Mike's father Sean Cripe said his son was known for his love of music and handing out hugs. ||||| Caffeine caused the death of a 16-year-old student, according to Richland County Coroner Gary Watts. 
 
 Watts held a news conference Monday to discuss the results of an investigation into the death of Davis Allen Cripe, who died April 26 at Palmetto Health Parkridge Hospital after collapsing in a classroom. 
 
 
 
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 Watts said Cripe drank a large diet Mountain Dew, a cafe latte from McDonald's and an energy drink in the two-hour period before he collapsed. 
 
 "We lost Davis from a totally legal substance," Watts said. He said he determined Cripe died from a caffeine-induced cardiac event. 
 
 "It was so much caffeine at the time of his death, that it caused his arrhythmia," he said. 
 
 
 
 "These drinks can be very dangerous," Watts said. "I'm telling my friends and family, Don't drink them." 
 
 
 
 Cripe's father said he was a good son who would never touch alcohol or drugs and he hopes the teen's death will save other lives by showing the dangers of excessive caffeine. 
 

– A shocking incident out of South Carolina has experts discussing how much is too much when it comes to a perfectly legal substance: caffeine. After consuming three highly caffeinated beverages in a two-hour period, 16-year-old student Davis Allen Cripe collapsed and died in April, reports WYFF 4. Richland County Coroner Gary Watts has now confirmed that the cause of death was a caffeine-induced cardiac event. According to the State, after Davis drank a large Diet Mountain Dew, a McDonald’s latte, and an energy drink within a two-hour period, he collapsed in class. He was pronounced dead at the hospital just over an hour later. Cripe’s father Sean says his son was healthy at the time of his death, and Davis’ autopsy revealed no pre-existing heart conditions. "It was so much caffeine at the time of his death, that it caused his arrhythmia," Watts says. “Davis, like so many other kids and so many other people out there today, was doing something [he] thought was totally harmless, and that was ingesting lots of caffeine,” Watts says, adding that because caffeinated drinks affect people differently, it’s difficult to gauge an exact limit. Consumer Affairs reported in 2015 that the issue is especially relevant to teens, with nearly 31% of 12- to 19-year-olds consuming energy drinks regularly. Of 5,448 caffeine overdoses in 2007, 46% occurred in people under 19, and those with underlying heart problems are especially vulnerable. In a tearful press conference Monday (see video above), Sean Cripes urged parents and teens to learn from what happened to his son, who was known for loving music and giving out hugs. “It wasn't a car crash that took his life,” Sean says. “Instead, it was an energy drink." (Another teen died after drinking three energy drinks within a 24-hour period.)