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The other day I saw a man with a 20 ounce can of Red Bull energy drink in his hand. 20 ounces, I thought to myself, that's a lot of energy drink for one person. Turns out, I was right–the Food and Drug Administration has received five reports in recent years of people who have died as a result of drinking Monster, another popular energy drink brand. That being said, the reports don't prove a link between drinking energy drinks and the deaths, but at least one mother has filed suit against the company after her 14-year-old daughter died after drinking large cans of Monster.

Wendy Crossland, the mother of the teenager, filed a lawsuit against Monster Beverages, Inc. after her 14-year-old died last December. Wendy's daughter suffered from a heart arrythmia that she claims was worsened by the high caffeine content of Monster, but that the company failed to adequately warn consumers of potential dangers. Coincidentally, the FDA says that the 5 reports that it has received involve claims of heart attacks after drinking Monster.

FDA spokesperson Shelly Burgess recently announced that it is the responsibility of the energy drink manufacturers to investigate reports of deaths or injuries associated with their products. Monster Energy is but one of several energy drink manufacturers and makes energy beverages such as Monster Rehab, Monster Assault and Monster Heavy Metal. Currently, the FDA does not require energy drink manufacturers to list caffeine content on their beverages, although Monster Energy drinks do have a label stating that the product is “not recommended” for some consumers.

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