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 Linda Thomas
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Monster.jpg
The FDA is investigating reports of five deaths that might be linked to Monster Energy Drinks. The drink's maker does not believe its product caused the deaths.(AP file photo)

Parents buzz about deaths linked to Monster Energy drinks

October 22, 2012 @ 6:09 pm (Updated: 6:57 am - 10/23/12 )

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating reports of five deaths and a non-fatal heart attack linked to Monster Energy Drinks.

FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess says they can't prove the drinks caused the deaths, that's why they're investigating. The deaths were between 2009 and June of this year.

The federal investigation follows a lawsuit filed after the death of a 14-year-old Maryland girl who drank two 24-ounce Monster drinks within 24 hours.

That's like drinking 14 cans of Coca Cola. The two drinks contained 480 milligrams of caffeine.

An autopsy concluded she died of "cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity." The lawsuit also notes she had an inherited disorder that can weaken blood vessels.

The company did not respond to my requests for an interview, but issued a statement saying it does not believe the energy drink was "in any way responsible" for the girl's death.

The combination of caffeine and alcohol came into the spotlight a couple of years ago when some students from Central Washington University were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. At first police thought someone slipped something into their drinks, but later determined the students were downing an alcoholic energy drink called Four Loko.

If you recall that story, you might remember the conclusion. Four Loko's maker removed the caffeine from the drinks.

"My son and his friends drink that crap all the time," says John Linscheid, parent of a Seattle high school senior.

"It used to be all we had to worry about after football games was alcohol, now it's energy drinks," his wife Marci adds. "I don't think most parents know how dangerous those can be.

Monster, Red Bull, Rockstar, and Full Throttle are among the fastest-growing type of soft drink in the United States. That's not to mention the little 5-Hour Energy shots.

Sales increased 17 percent last year to about $9 billion, according to Beverage Digest.

"In some ways it seems safer to have them drink alcohol at a party," says Guy Milbrandt. "Not that I'd let that happen in my house."

The parents I talked with are planning to circulate a story about Monster Energy drinks through email, as teens plan Halloween parties for this weekend and next week.

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (8)


  • Add A Comment

  • maplefish wrote...
    Oh God, here we go...
    October 23, 2012 6:31 am
    We better get these off the shelf! Lets knee jerk our way back to safety. We need to get the Government involved and ban them, immediately. We can't stop this epidemic on our own.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • JustAnotherFish wrote...
    Monster Energy
    October 23, 2012 11:59 am
    Now more deadly than marijuana.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sivadm wrote...
    HA
    October 24, 2012 8:04 am
    We have pharmaceuticals that are being sold that are more dangerous than marijuana. The government seems to act like a drug dealer with a chip on its shoulder against a more viable solution for the consumer, which it has no control over. Take heroin away from addicts and give them methadone, take weed away from USERS (the term addict doesn't apply here because marijuana does not cause self-destruction), and give them Xanax along with opiates (a possible deadly combination). Now understand, I am not advocating for heroin and the comment made was only to accentuate to what extent our "research" is trying to "help". And let me touch on the gateway drug issue for marijuana. The only reason it is a gateway drug is because it is illegal. The people you get it from are not moral, which is why I compared the government to them above. Say the dealer doesn't have marijuana or just wants to get off his inventory of a stronger drug, so he makes a deal. BOOM, taken advantage of. I've been around it. This junk happens. I see it in the government too. And if Obama is reelected, our freedoms will be what he takes away, then we're going to the government for whatever they will give us, just like the addicts. Hmmm, I think I ran out of soap.
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  • PaperMachete wrote...
    This is just stupid
    October 23, 2012 12:28 pm
    As an occasional energy drink consumer, I know that A) they are very unhealthy for me and I choose to drink them, B) drinking to many of them can be very bad for me, and C) they print on the can the maximum you should drink in 24 hours. I know parents can't monitor their children 24 hours a day, but this seems like a parental responsibility issue rather than a serious health issue of the energy drinks.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • emw wrote...
    Sensationalism by the media yet again
    October 23, 2012 12:46 pm
    5 deaths in 5 years? How many people die from Alcohol in a 24 hour period, from car accidents? From oh I don't know cycling, walking, swimming? Give me a break the only reason this is news is you hope you can make it something it is not. Your know better than the average politician.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Burn_Notice wrote...
    Question
    October 23, 2012 3:11 pm
    How many of their little loved ones have been killed because they were texting on their cellphones while driving? You can die of drinking too much water too. It is called water intoxication. Soooo... Should we ban bottled water? Of course not. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but everything we do carries with it a certain amount of risk. There is no way to legislate or litigate it all away.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BikeNazi wrote...
    FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess says they can't prove the drinks caused the deaths
    October 23, 2012 10:25 pm
    Parents buzz about deaths linked to Monster Energy drinks. What's with the cognitive dissonance in the headline and article content?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sivadm wrote...
    C'mon, are you people serious?
    October 24, 2012 7:45 am
    This whole thing is just an opportunity for greedy lawyers to punish competent individuals through the manipulation of those who cannot perceive a modality of responsibility for themselves or their decisions (including how they have chosen to raise their children). I have made two tiny URLs to debunk this hype. Please Read: http://tinyurl/coffee-bad http://tinyurl/energy-good
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }