USA - Quattordicenne beve 1,5 litri di energy drink e muore / Monster Energy: US girl, 14, died from heart attack

La giovane vittima – fonte immagine

Ragazzina beve 1,5 litri di energy drink e muore

L’abuso della bevanda energetica Monster potrebbe aver causato la morte di una ragazza di 14 anni negli Usa

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di Elmar Burchia

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Può metterti le ali, ma può anche ucciderti: una quattordicenne del Maryland ha bevuto due grosse lattine di Monster Energy e ventiquattro ore dopo è crollata. Due lattine della nota bevanda energetica da 0,7 litri corrispondono alla caffeina contenuta in sette lattine di Coca-Cola. L’autopsia ha confermato che Anaïs F. è deceduta a causa di un «grave scompenso cardiaco dovuto all’avvelenamento da caffeina». La famiglia della giovane ha deciso di fare causa al gruppo, questo è precipitato in borsa, mentre la Food and Drug Administration sta indagando altre morti sospette.

Monster Energy (Ap)

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ACCUSA – L’abuso dell’energy drink, Monster Energy, potrebbe aver causato la morte di una ragazza di 14 anni. La denuncia è scattata nei giorni scorsi da Wendy Crossland, madre della giovane deceduta a fine dicembre 2011 per un’aritmia cardiaca. La donna ha avviato un’azione legale contro l’azienda produttrice collegando il decesso della figlia Anaïs all’abuso della bevanda, riferisce il New York Times. Se nel frattempo l’azienda americana ha respinto ogni accusa – evidenziando come la morte della ragazza non sia in alcun modo riconducibile all’assunzione della bevanda – a Wall Street Monster Beverage ha terminato la seduta di lunedì in ribasso del 14,2% (da metà giugno il titolo ha perso oltre il 40% del suo valore). Monster Beverage ha inoltre sottolineato che – dopo aver venduto oltre 8 miliardi di lattine – è la prima volta in 16 anni che viene riscontrato un legame tra la bevanda e un decesso.

MORTI SOSPETTE – Ciò nonostante non è l’unica accusa di questo tipo contro la società. Shelly Burgess, portavoce della Food and Drug Administration, ha detto al New York Times di aver ricevuto negli ultimi tre anni cinque segnalazioni di decessi che potrebbero esser stati causati da un consumo eccessivo dell’energy drink. Le bevande analcoliche negli Stati Uniti possono contenere non oltre 71,5 milligrammi di caffeina per 0,35 litri. Tale limite non viene tuttavia applicato agli energy drink visto che sono considerati degli integratori alimentari. Nelle lattine di Monster Energy da 700 millilitri sono contenuti 240 milligrammi di caffeina, 50 mg più che nella lattina della concorrente Red Bull. Per le giovani ragazze e i ragazzi le bevande energetiche sono una «trappola mortale», accusa la madre della 14enne. Il produttore deve prendere atto che il suo prodotto «può uccidere».

Elmar Burchia

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fonte corriere.it

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Could Monster Drinks Kill You?

Pubblicato in data 24/ott/2012 da keepthecontent

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US girl, 14, ‘died from heart attack after just two cans of Monster’ in fifth death linked to energy drink

• Anais Fournier, from Maryland, had heart attack brought on by ‘caffeine toxicity’ two days before Christmas last year
• Her parents have launched wrongful death suit over ‘death trap’ drink
• Monster is the leading U.S. energy drink by volume with 39% of market
• Energy drink, described by the company as ‘killer energy brew’, contains seven times the amount of caffeine as can of cola

By Louise Boyle

PUBLISHED: 21:12 GMT, 22 October 2012 | UPDATED: 19:09 GMT, 23 October 2012

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Monster Beverage has been sued by the family of a 14-year-old girl who died after she had just two cans of the energy drink.

The Food and Drug Administration announced today it was investigating reports of five deaths associated with the drink and one non-fatal heart attack, prompting the company’s shares to fall 14 per cent.

Anais Fournier, died on December 23, 2011 from a heart attack brought on by ‘caffeine toxicity’ after drinking two 24-ounce Monster cans within 24 hours.

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Toxic: The parents of Anais Fournier, who died from caffeine toxicity after two cans of Monster energy drink, have filed a lawsuit

The FDA reported people had adverse reactions after they consumed Monster Energy Drink, which comes in 24-ounce cans and contain 240 milligrams of caffeine – or seven times the amount of the caffeine in a 12-ounce cola.

The wrongful death suit, filed in California Superior Court in Riverside, said that after drinking two 24-ounce cans of Monster Energy on consecutive days, Anais went into cardiac arrest.

An autopsy revealed the teenager, from Hagerstown, Maryland, died of cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity that impeded her heart’s ability to pump blood.

The medical examiner also found that she had an inherited disorder that can weaken blood vessels.

Miss Fournier’s parents Wendy Crossland and Richard Fournier claim Monster failed to warn about the risks of drinking its products.

Ms Crossland told the Record Herald: ‘I was shocked to learn the FDA can regulate caffeine in a can of soda, but not these huge energy drinks.

‘With their bright colors and names like Monster, Rockstar, and Full Throttle, these drinks are targeting teenagers with no oversight or accountability. These drinks are death traps for young, developing girls and boys, like my daughter, Anais.’

Monster is the leading U.S. energy drink by volume with nearly 39 per cent of the market, but Austria’s Red Bull has the highest share by revenue due to its premium price.

The company touts Monster Energy Drink on its website as a ‘killer energy brew’ and ‘the meanest energy supplement on the planet’.

The cans bear labels stating that the drinks are not recommended for children and people who are sensitive to caffeine.

Health concerns: The FDA said it was investigating reports of five deaths and a non-fatal heart attack linked to highly caffeinated Monster Energy Drinks

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 said in a statement.

Monster Beverage Corp said it does not believe its drinks are ‘in any way responsible’ for Miss Fournier’s death.

‘Monster is unaware of any fatality anywhere that has been caused by its drinks,’ the company said in a statement. It said it intends to vigorously defend itself in the suit.

Monster’s shares plunged $7.59, or 14.2 percent, to close at $45.73 in trading on Monday.

Energy drinks are a tiny part of the carbonated soft drink market, representing about 3 per cent of sales volume, according to a recent report by industry tracker Beverage Digest. Last year, sales volume for energy drinks rose by nearly 17 per cent.

The increased sales have brought heightened scrutiny from state and federal authorities.

In August, New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued subpoenas to energy drink makers, including Monster, as part of the state’s investigation of the industry.

In September, Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked the FDA to take another look at the effect that caffeine and other ingredients in energy drinks have on children and adolescents.

Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2221554/Monster-Beverage-lawsuit-Girl-14-died-heart-attack-just-cans-drink.html#ixzz2AEu2e5ht

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