This Jan. 16, 2014, photo shows Keystone High School wrestler Logan Stiner during a match in Sheffield Village, Ohio. The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to avoid pure powdered caffeine sold on the Internet after Stiner died after consuming it. Even a teaspoon of the powder could be lethal – it is equivalent to 25 cups of coffee.WASHINGTON – The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to avoid pure powdered caffeine sold on the Internet after the death of an Ohio teen.
Even a teaspoon of the powder could be lethal – it is equivalent to 25 cups of coffee. Eighteen-year-old Logan Stiner of LaGrange, Ohio, died May 27 after consuming it.
The FDA said it is investigating caffeine powder and will “consider taking regulatory action.” In the meantime, the agency said it is recommending consumers stay away from it.
Teenagers and young adults may be particularly drawn to the powder, which is a stimulant. Caffeine powder is marketed as a dietary supplement and is unregulated, unlike caffeine added to soda.
FDA spokeswoman Jennifer Dooren said those who drink coffee, tea or soda may be aware of caffeine’s less serious effects, like nervousness and tremors, and may not realize that the powdered form is a pure chemical.