This mother, whose son died from too many energy drinks, is determined that no one else should endure losing their child in this way.
Shani Clarke is the mother of the tragically passed away Michael who used to consume at least 4, 500 ml cans of energy drink per day, but also 4 to 5 cups of coffee.
He was found slumped behind the wheel of an 11-tonne-truck on the side of the road in Perth, Australia in 2014.
He had suffered a massive heart attack and died as a result of caffeine toxicity. His mother wrote on Facebook that she can’t explain the pain she’s feeling and that she sobbed and sobbed.
However, she was unaware that her son was buying and consuming that many energy drinks until several weeks before his tragic death.
Is My Son Addicted to Energy Drinks?
One day, he was cleaning his truck and she saw him holding several cans of the Mother energy drink and she told him she hopes he’s not drinking too many of them at once.
He just shrugged off and she didn’t think too much about this at the time.
When the coroner explained the reason for his death, she decided to help others learn the negative effects of too many energy drinks. She was angry when she learned that caffeine from the too many energy drinks her son consumed could have been avoided.
She explains that his body was unable to process all that high amount of caffeine and thus, it piled up in the body and led to a heart attack.
The grieving mother received a lot of support since she began a Facebook page called Caffeine Toxicity Death Awareness. A lot of people were admitting to being unaware of the potential dangers of these drinks and a lot of them also claimed they’ve given them up.
According to one woman, she was addicted to cans of V for almost 10 years. Another one posted that she wasn’t that aware of the dangers from too many energy drinks.
This avoidable death case has also encouraged experts to speak up about the negative effects of energy drinks.
What Do Experts Have to Say
Dr. Brian Morton, chair of general practitioners for the Australian Medical Association notes that we mustn’t drink more than two cups of coffee on a daily basis. This is because our body isn’t made to intake that amount of toxic chemicals.
The piled up amounts could unmask electrical heart abnormalities that you may have been born with and this short circuit in the electrical wiring could trigger sudden death, explains Dr. Morton.
However, the CEO of Australian Beverages Council, Geoff Parker says that the energy drinks market in Australia is one of the most regulated in the world. He adds that the products are clearly labelled with a 500 ml maximum daily usage.
Sources: