I never understood the fascination with energy drinks because they've all tasted disgusting to me. Not only are they gross, but they're TERRIBLE for your health. Take for instance 14-year-old Anais Fournier of Maryland who tragically died of a heart attack after consuming two cans of Monster energy drinks. Her parents are now suing the beverage company after her death last December–and it also has the FDA investigating Monster as 5 other people have died after having the energy drink.
According to reports, Fournier died because of "caffeine toxicity" after drinking two 24 ounce Monster cans within 24 hours. Now her parents are filing suit claiming that the energy drink didn't warn about the risks that come with drinking their beverage.
It's super scary to think that this beverage can cause death–but it's not all that strange since it packs more than 240 milligrams of caffeine in a 24-ounce can, which means it's seven times stronger than a regular soda (and the equivalent of about 3 cups of regular coffee)! The bright packaging also makes it an easy target for teenagers and children. UGH!
Read more in ¿Qué más?: Smoking with kids in car should be illegal, period
Even more frightening is the fact that Monster is one of the best selling energy drinks on the market, but now due to their supposed toxicity, the FDA is paying closer attention to them as they investigate deaths blaming the beverages. Despite all these allegations, the popular drink does warn buyers on the can that it is not suitable for children or those sensitive to caffeine.
Therefore, Monster stands by their statement claiming themselves innocent and not the cause of all these deaths. Whatever their stance may be, this needs to be taken seriously because there are kids having heart attacks after drinking this stuff! And honestly, it disgusts me to know that people even drink this stuff! I knew someone who was hospitalized for overdoing it on Monster energy drinks–and that scare convinced them to no longer have the potent nasty stuff.
I personally feel that the government needs to regulate these drinks the way we regulate alcohol in this country because letting children have access to all this caffeine is only a gateway to death. It's also NOT just a coincidence that many people have died after having these energy drinks. I hope Anais' family and the other victims get justice in the courtroom.
Images via Family Handout, stevendepolo/flickr
