The federal government and the New
York Attorney General's office
are investigating after the Food and
Drug Administration received
claims that the drink 5-Hour Energy
may have led to 13 deaths
and 33 hospitalizations over the
past four years.
The popular energy shot – which
comes in 2 oz. packages
and packs a powerful caffeine punch,
equal to two cups of coffee --
led the way in this new and growing
energy drink segment over the
past eight years. Now government
officials are investigating whether
the product, made by Michigan-based
Living Essentials, does much more.
"If someone is to use multiple
cans, now is when we start to see
some of the side effects," Dr.
Sean Patrick Nord, USC Director of the
Section of Toxicology, told ABC
News. "You're getting astronomical amounts,
30 to 40 cups of coffee."
The recent FDA filings mark the
second time in a month the administration
has confirmed it is investigating
claims that energy drinks are causing fatal
reactions. In October, Monster
energy, another popular drink that contains
even more caffeine, was allegedly
linked to five deaths.
The manufacturers point out that
these are just claims, and there is
no proven link between the drinks
and the deaths.
In a statement overnight, 5-hour
Energy said the product
is "intended for busy
adults."
The company says its compact product
contains "about as
much caffeine as a cup of the
leading premium coffee."
During an interview this September,
Manoj Bhargava, the founder
and CEO of 5-Hour Energy, told ABC
News "Nightline" that
when used as directed, the caffeine
in his product doesn't do any harm.
"It's overblown. When it's in
small quantities … It's like this --
water is good, but if you have too
much you drown," he said.
Most experts say the fatal dose of
caffeine for an adult would be
almost impossible to drink –
actually 50 to 60 times of what is
contained in an energy drink.
But critics worry about children
with underlying heart problems
drinking them, and are warning that
energy drinks may be more hazardous
than coffee because of the
temperature.
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