NPR: Next Big Health Fear: Too Many Espressos

Next Big Health Fear: Too Many Espressos

Watch out for that espresso!

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I always knew that there was something about drinking espressos that seemed dangerous.

Jasmine Willis, a 17-year-old British girl, was hospitalized when she "developed a fever and began hyperventilating" after drinking seven double espressos at her family's sandwich shop, the BBC reports.

Jasmine has had a "full recovery" and is now warning people about the dangers of excessive coffee drinking. (She needs to come and do a seminar for NPR staff; I can tell you that right now.) Before the side effects of her binge wore off, however, she also cleaned every house on her block from top to bottom and wrote 37 versions of her final essay for school. Just kidding.

So America, tell your children to stick to the safe caffeine pleasure of lattes, coffee ice cream and decaf before they too fall victim to the scourge of demon espresso.

2:06 PM ET | 08-13-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

When I was a kid, we weren't allowed to drink coffee. Occasionally, our parents might let us have a half a cup mixed with a great deal of milk every once in a while. Coffee was for grown ups. Now I see kids as young as 12 years old getting 16 oz cups of Java at the Starbucks counter. You can't tell me that all that caffeine is good for children.

Sent by Robyn Russell | 8:38 PM ET | 08-13-2007

Everything needs to be consumed in moderation. Even a massive consumption of water can kill someone, water intoxication. I see nothing wrong, especially a 12 year old, enjoying a "single" serving of coffee and milk. The girl in the article drank 7 double espressos, the equivalent of 14 espresso shots. That's just plain stupid.

Sent by Gabriel Bovino | 9:20 AM ET | 03-01-2008

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