This October, 17-year-old Larissa Rodriguez  died due to an enlarged heart caused by over consumption of caffeine. Rodriguez had no pre-existing heart conditions and no alcohol or any kind of drug in her system, just caffeine. She had reportedly been drinking one to five Alanis, a popular energy drink, per day. Each Alani contains around 200 milligrams of caffeine per drink, the same as three shots of espresso, which is pretty standard for most energy drinks.. When Rodriguez was drinking five Alanis a day, she was consuming 1000 milligrams of caffeine, more than double the FDA recommended daily maximum of 400 milligrams. 

Teenagers need much stricter regulations on caffeine consumption. Caffeine, unlike other stimulant drugs such as nicotine and Adderall, isn’t  limited by the government. 

Like most drugs, caffeine triggers dopamine hits that lead to addiction. After daily use of caffeine, the brain gets used to both the excess dopamine and the blockage of fatigue receptors, causing a dependence on caffeine to feel awake and happy throughout the day. This effect is what makes energy drink companies so profitable, as people have to rely on their products in order to function. 

High school students are most susceptible to this, often having overwhelming homework loads and demanding extracurriculars that lead many to become sleep deprived. Science News says that “70 percent of high schoolers sleep less than seven hours per night.” To get through the day, many teenagers turn to energy drinks as a reliable supplement. The caffeine is so addictive that people become dependent on it and are often unaware of the possible consequences caused by the high caffeine content. 

Energy drinks are also specifically marketed towards teenagers, with many of them being flavored similarly to candy or sodas. Furthermore, teenagers are more vulnerable to addiction due to a lack of awareness about the negative side effects. 

 Over time, the effects of caffeine begin to dull. It no longer makes the individual feel as energized, because the brain adapts to the effects of caffeine. If they don’t understand the consequences of overconsumption, they might increase their consumption just like Larissa Rodriguez did. She is not the first teen to die from a caffeine addiction, and won’t be the last. In the United States, high caffeine consumption is normalized for teenagers. In other countries like Norway and The United Kingdom, legislation has been introduced to protect teenagers from developing addictions to caffeine. These laws require an ID when purchasing any kind of energy drink. While these laws may limit profit for energy drink companies, they protect teenagers from caffeine addiction, and prevent the deaths of teenagers like Larissa Rodriguez. Larissa Rodriguez was not at fault for her death, rather, she only fell into the drug-induced marketing trap of energy drinks that has been exacerbated by our government.