IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
CBS 2'S ELISE FINCH REPORTS THE
CASE HAS FAMILIES TALKING.
Reporter: 16-YEAR-OLD DAVIS
WAS CONSIDERED HEALTHY BY ALL
ACCOUNTS BUT THE SOPHOMORE
COLLAPSED AT HIS SOUTH CAROLINA
HIGH SCHOOL LAST MONTH AND DIED
AT A NEARBY HOSPITAL.
THE CAUSE OF DEATH?
CAFFEINE ACCORDING TO THE
RICHLAND COUNTY CORONER.
THESE DRINKS THIS AMOUNT OF
CAFFEINE CAN HAVE DIRE
CONSEQUENCES AND THAT'S WHAT
HAPPENED IN THIS CASE.
Reporter: THE BOY HAD ONE
LARGE MOUNTAIN DEW, CAFE LATTE
AND ENERGY DRINK IN LESS THAN
TWO HOURS.
IT TRIGGERED A CARDIAC EVENT
THAT KILLED HIM.
IT TRIGGERS AN INCREASE IN
YOUR HEART RATE, ELEVATES YOUR
BLOOD PRESSURE AND TRIGGERS
ABNORMAL HEARTBEATS PUTTING YOU
AT RISK FOR HEART ATTACK,
STROKE, SEIZURE IF YOU DRINK IT
TOO QUICKLY.
Reporter: SOME PEOPLE ARE
MORE SENSITIVE TO CAFFEINE THAN
OTHERS BUT MAY NOT REALIZE HOW
MUCH UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE.
WE SPOKE TO TEENAGERS IN
WESTCHESTER COUNTY WHO SAY
CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES ARE SEEN
AS HELPFUL, COOL, EVEN
GLAMOROUS.
DEFINITELY THERE'S A LOT OF
SODA AND OBVIOUSLY THE CAFFEINE
THAT GOES ALONG WITH IS THAT.
IT BECAME, LIKE, A , LIKE,
ALMOST A FAST STATION TO HAVE
YOUR COFFEE WITH YOU.
IT'S PART OF MY ROUTINE.
Reporter: SOME PARENTS SAY
STORIES LIKE THIS ARE WHY THEY
TRY TO KEEP THEIR CHILDREN AWAY
FROM ALL CAFFEINE.
MY PEDIATRICIAN TOLD ME THAT
IT'S JUST NOT GOOD FOR THEM.
YOU KNOW, THEIR HEART, IT RACES
THEIR HEART.
I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT
ENHANCES CONCENTRATION AND I
MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, IN THIS CASE,
IT'S BEEN MEDICALLY SHOWN THAT
IT WAS ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING.
Reporter: DOCTORS SAY TO
AVOID MEDICAL EMERGENCIES AND
TRAGEDIES, CHILDREN SHOULD ONLY
BE ALLOWED TO HAVE SMALL
AMOUNTS OF CAFFEINE OVER A LONG
PERIOD OF TIME.
ELISE FINCH, CBS 2 NEWS.
