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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Protecting
Consumers from the Dangers of Powdered Caffeine
In May, Dennis and Kate Stiner faced a tragedy that no parent should
have to endure. Their son Logan – a student athlete at Keystone High
School in LaGrange, who planned on attending the University of Toledo
this fall – died from ingesting too much powdered caffeine three days
before his high school graduation. Since then, the Stiners have become
courageous advocates for consumer safety so that no other parents will
have to suffer the same senseless loss.
Last week, I joined the Stiners in Cleveland to call on the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the sale and marketing of powdered
caffeine and prevent more accidental deaths. The FDA has alerted
consumers to the dangers of powdered caffeine on its website but these
products remain readily available without any sort of regulations,
warnings, or protections. I believe the FDA must to do more to protect
American consumers.
Caffeine is an accepted part of our culture – you would be hard pressed
to find someone who hasn’t enjoyed a cup of coffee or tea, or a can of
soda or an energy drink to concentrate or gain energy. Powdered pure
caffeine, however, is not well understood and its high concentration
makes it dangerous.
Even a small amount of powdered caffeine can kill.
According to the FDA, one teaspoon of powered caffeine is like drinking
25 cups of coffee all at once. That is more than six times the
recommended daily amount of caffeine for an adult. Teenagers – who may
be tempted to use powdered caffeine to stay awake in class or to
improve their sports performance – are recommended to have no more
caffeine than what you would find in a single cup of coffee.
To complicate matters, the recommended serving size of powdered
caffeine is one-sixteenth of a teaspoon. That amount is so small that
it’s nearly impossible to estimate without a food scale and a special
miniature measuring spoon. Most kitchens don’t have those tools,
putting powdered caffeine users at risk for fatal measuring errors.
Too much caffeine can cause rapid or erratic heartbeat, seizures, and
even death but, despite these risks, powdered caffeine can be purchased
online or in stores with little warning or guidance. Kids and teenagers
can even purchase this deadly stimulant in bulk online with the click
of a button and no parental supervision.
We need to take action before more lives are lost. I’ll continue
working with my colleagues in Washington to press the FDA to pull this
product from the market.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
U.S. Senator
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