SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Those popular energy drinks are being scrutinized following a recent federal filing site their possible link to 18 deaths. Now a San Francisco attorney is demanding labeling changes. A new UCSF study is slated for release on Thursday.
The Federal Drug Administration says one 5-hour Energy drink has as much caffeine as two cups of coffee. Like most energy drinks, 5-hour Energy drinks are not required to list the amount of caffeine they contain. Now there's pressure to do that.
Golden Bear Market owner Sam Jaber says the demand for his famous Turkish coffee is rivaled by the demand for 5-hour Energy.
"I do sell a lot of it and I make sure I don't run out of it. I keep it in stock," said Jaber.
The FDA has received reports of 13 deaths over the last four years involving 5-hour Energy. Sandra Klingel, who is a nurse, says she had to take a man, who was working on her roof, to the hospital after he drank three of the drinks.
"His heart rate was beating so quickly that he was not getting enough blood to either his heart or his brain and so he became faint," said Klingel.
The San Francisco city attorney is demanding the makers of Monster Energy drinks -- another highly caffeinated drink -- prove the beverage is completely safe. The FDA says it may be linked to as many as five deaths since 2009.
Byron Lee, M.D., is a cardiologist at UCSF who suspects people are abusing the dosage. Lee said, "I think that if somebody were to have a pre-existing heart condition the increased adrenaline that may come with high doses of caffeine may tip them over the edge and eventually cause a lethal arrhythmia."
UCSF says it plans to release a report on the risks of energy drinks on Thursday. The makers of 5-hour Energy said it is "...unaware of any deaths proven to be caused by the consumption of 5-hour Energy." 5-hour Energy also recommends no more than two shots a day, spread out over several hours.
"I try to stay away from them, but they're cheap and they're easy to buy, so I go to them for my energy source," said Elizabeth Yurkov, a UCSF student.
Between 2005 and 2008 the Department of Health and Human Services reported a ten-fold increase in the number of emergency room visits linked to energy drinks.
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HAGERSTOWN, Md. — The highly caffeinated Monster Energy Drink has been cited in five deaths and one non-fatal heart attack, according to reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating.
The reports claim that people had adverse reactions after they consumed Monster Energy Drink, which comes in 24-ounce cans and contains 240 milligrams of caffeine, or seven times the amount of the caffeine in a 12-ounce cola.
Although the FDA is investigating the allegations, which date back to 2004, the agency said the reports don’t necessarily prove that the drinks caused the deaths or injuries.
“As with any reports of a death or injury the agency receives, we take them very seriously and investigate diligently,” Shelly Burgess, a FDA spokeswoman, said in a statement.
News of the FDA’s investigation follows a filing earlier this month of a wrongful death suit in Riverside, Calif., by the parents of a 14-year-old girl who died after drinking two 24-ounce Monster Energy Drinks in 24 hours. An autopsy concluded that she died of cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity, and the medical examiner also found that she had an inherited disorder that can weaken blood vessels. But the child’s parents claim Monster failed to warn about the risks of drinking its products.
Monster Beverage Corp., which touts on its web site that the Monster Energy Drink is a “killer energy brew” and “the meanest energy supplement on the planet,” puts labels on cans that state that the drinks are not recommended for children and people who are sensitive to caffeine. The company, based in Corona, Calif., did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment last week, but has said that it is “unaware of any fatality anywhere that has been caused by its drinks.”
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