South Carolina teen dies from caffeine overdose

A latte.
(Image credit: Christopher Jue/Getty Images)

Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said Monday that a 16-year-old South Carolina high schooler died from heart problems caused by consuming too much caffeine.

Davis Cripe collapsed and died inside a classroom at Spring Hill High School after his heart fell out of rhythm, The Associated Press reports. In the two hours before his death, Cripe drank a latte from McDonalds, a large Mountain Dew, and an energy drink, the coroner reported. While teenagers can drink a cup of coffee or a glass of soda, caffeine can be deadly in large amounts, Watts said. Cripe's father said his son never drank alcohol or did illegal drugs, and he wants his death to serve as a warning to other teens who might consume copious amounts of caffeine.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.