Coroner says South Carolina teenager died after drinking several high-caffeine drinks

Davis Allen Cripe, 16, drank a latte from McDonald's, alarge Mountain Dew soda, and a highly caffeinated energy drinkin just under two hours, said Gary Watts, the coroner ofRichland County, South Carolina.

Watts told Reuters by phone that physicians on his staffdetermined that Cripe died from a "caffeine-induced cardiacevent causing a probable arrhythmia."

• Energy drinks' non-caffeine ingredients may affect heart
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It was likely that caffeine would not have been seen as afactor in his death if it had not been for witnesses who couldtell officials what Cripe had to drink before he collapsedduring a high school class, Watts said.

"The energy drink was basically chugged," Watts said.

Watts said Cripe was considered a healthy teenager and didnot have an undiagnosed heart condition. There was no sign of aheart condition in an autopsy of the 16-year-old.

Davis weighed a little more than 200 pounds (90 kg) butwould not have been considered morbidly obese, Watts said. Hedied about an hour after collapsing in a high school nearColumbia, South Carolina.

"We're not trying to speak out totally against caffeine,"Watts said. "We believe people need to pay attention to theircaffeine intake and how they do it, just as they do with alcoholor cigarettes."

According to caffeineinformer.com, a McDonald's latte has142 milligrams of caffeine, a 20-ounce Mountain Dew has 90milligrams, and a 16-ounce energy drink can have as much as 240milligrams.