Davis Allen Cripe (pictured right) was a 16-year-old high school student who died in April 2017 from what Richland County, S.C. Coroner Gary Watts is calling a “caffeine induced cardiac event” after drinking “a large Diet Mountain Dew, a cafe latte from McDonald’s and an energy drink over the course of about two hours,” according to a story in the Sacramento Bee. In other words, he didn’t do anything that the action sports industrial complex isn’t encouraging kids to do all the time.
Cripe’s father explained it like this:
“It wasn’t a car crash that took his life,” he said of his son. “Instead, it was an energy drink. Parents, please talk to your kids about these energy drinks. And teenagers and students: please stop buying them.”
No one mentioned exactly which energy drink it was, likely out of fear of getting sued, but we could probably guess. We just wonder when the action sports industry is going to wake up and stop selling off their lifestyles and athletes to promote drinks that can be straight up harmful to kids. Anyone?
[Link: Sacramento Bee]
