{"id":596246,"date":"2026-04-11T04:13:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T04:13:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/596246\/"},"modified":"2026-04-11T04:13:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T04:13:14","slug":"energy-drink-contributed-to-17-year-old-cheerleaders-death-says-u-s-lawsuit-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/596246\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy drink contributed to 17-year-old cheerleader\u2019s death, says U.S. lawsuit – National"},"content":{"rendered":"

The family of a 17-year-old Texas cheerleader has filed a wrongful death<\/a> lawsuit against distributors of an energy drink, saying that she died from an enlarged heart caused by ingesting large amounts of caffeine.<\/p>\n

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The family of Larissa Nicole Rodriguez, who died in October 2025, is accusing Alani Nu Energy Drinks<\/a> and the Texas retailer, Glazer\u2019s Beer and Beverage, that sold her the beverages of inadequately warning \u201cconsumers of the serious risks\u201d of consuming the drink, according to the lawsuit<\/a>, viewed by Global News.<\/p>\n

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Hidalgo County District Court, says that Rodriguez purchased and consumed \u201cone or more Alani Nu Energy Drinks,\u201d which contain 200 mg of caffeine per 12-fluid-ounce can in the U.S. (and 140 mg of caffeine per can in Canada), on or about October 20, 2025, and \u201cthe days leading up to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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For comparison, a 355-mL can of Coca-Cola has 34 mg of caffeine, and Diet Coke has 45 mg.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFollowing her consumption of Alani Nu Energy Drinks, Larissa Rodriguez suffered a fatal cardiac event. The Hidalgo County Medical Examiner determined that Larissa Rodriguez\u2019s cause of death was cardiomyopathy caused by excessive caffeine consumption,\u201d the legal documents state.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the time of her death, Larissa Rodriguez was seventeen years old\u2014a minor for whom the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine have all unequivocally stated that energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents,\u201d the docs add.<\/p>\n

The lawsuit states that despite containing 200 mg of caffeine per can, \u201cAlani Nu Energy Drinks include no maximum daily consumption limit on the label, no warning that consumption of multiple cans may be dangerous, and no prominent or conspicuous warning that the product is not intended for minors or that consumption by children may cause serious injury or death.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rodriquez\u2019s family said that Alani Nu is \u201cmarketed as a \u2018better-for-you\u2019 wellness and lifestyle beverage\u201d and notes that the marketing is \u201cparticularly deceptive\u201d because it positions the product as part of a \u201chealthy, active lifestyle,\u201d while \u201cconcealing the substantial cardiac and neurological risks associated with its concentrated caffeine and stimulant ingredients.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe branding emphasizes health, beauty, and an active lifestyle, using taglines that reference \u2018natural glow,\u2019 \u2018B vitamins,\u2019 and \u2018zero sugar.\u2019 The pastel-colored cans, candy-inspired flavors (such as \u2018Cosmic Stardust,\u2019 \u2018Cherry Slush,\u2019 \u2018Hawaiian Shaved Ice,\u2019 and \u2018Rocket Pop\u2019), and wellness-focused aesthetic deliberately blur the line between a dangerous caffeinated stimulant and a harmless lifestyle accessory,\u201d the lawsuit adds.<\/p>\n

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The lawsuit notes that the only cautionary language on the can \u2014\u201dNot recommended for children under 18, those sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women\u201d\u2014 is \u201cprinted in small, inconspicuous text that is easily overlooked and wholly inadequate to warn consumers of serious risks of cardiac injury and death.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tEvidence submitted in the lawsuit of Larissa Rodriguez\u2019s wrongful death lawsuit shows the warning label on the back of an Alani Nu energy drink can.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tHidalgo County Court\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\u201cThe warning does not alert consumers that consumption can cause cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, or death,\u201d the lawsuit adds.<\/p>\n

The Rodriquez family\u2019s lawsuit also mentions that the \u201cinadequacy of Alani Nu\u2019s warnings has drawn regulatory attention internationally.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn August 2023, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (\u2018CFIA\u2019) issued a safety warning for Alani Nu Energy Drinks due to non-compliant caffeine content and labeling, and advised Canadians not to drink, sell, or distribute the product,\u201d the legal filing says.<\/p>\n

\u201cCanadian regulations require energy drinks to carry prominent warnings stating the beverages are not recommended for those under 14 years old, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or individuals sensitive to caffeine, and limit caffeine content in energy drinks. No equivalent regulation exists in the United States, and Alani Nu has exploited this regulatory gap.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The lawsuit also mentions the energy drink industry\u2019s \u201cfailures to warn have been subject of extensive litigation,\u201d including the wrongful death lawsuit from the parents of an Ivy League student<\/a> with a heart condition who died after she allegedly drank a \u201cCharged Lemonade\u201d from Panera Bread<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost notably, Panera Bread faced wrongful death lawsuits over its \u2018Charged Lemonade\u2019 beverages, which contained high levels of caffeine and guarana extract similar to Alani Nu,\u201d the lawsuit notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose lawsuits alleged that the beverages were not adequately labeled as energy drinks, were placed alongside non-caffeinated beverages without adequate warnings, and caused fatal cardiac events in consumers with and without pre-existing conditions. Panera discontinued the product in May 2024.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rodriguez\u2019s parents said that their daughter \u201csuffered physical pain and mental anguish, pain and torment prior to her death\u201d as a result of the wrongful conduct by the defendants of the lawsuit.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdditionally, her Estate incurred medical and funeral expenses and past and future lost wages and earning capacity, and other damages for which Defendants are liable,\u201d the suit added.<\/p>\n

Rodriguez\u2019s parents are seeking damages of more than US$1 million from their daughter\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDoctors urge caution on energy drink consumption by youth\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Celsius Inc., which owns Alani Nu, said in a statement to NBC News<\/a> that it is \u201csaddened by this loss, and our thoughts are with the family. We take product safety seriously and believe consumers should have clear information about what they are drinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlani Nu energy drinks disclose 200mg of caffeine on the can, and the label states the product is not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women, or women who are nursing,\u201d the statement added. \u201cOur products comply with applicable federal labeling requirements, and our policy is not to market or sample to anyone under 18, consistent with those label warnings.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Celsius, which acquired Alani Nu in April 2025, is not a defendant in the wrongful death lawsuit.<\/p>\n

Benny Agosto Jr., a lawyer representing Rodriguez\u2019s family, said at a news conference<\/a> Wednesday that the Hidalgo County Medical Examiner said Rodriguez\u2019s cause of death \u201cwas an enlarged heart due to stress and large amounts of caffeine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agosto said that the 17-year-old cheerleader was \u201cfull of life, full of love, smart, academic and with a bright future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer life was cut short,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The family of a 17-year-old Texas cheerleader has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against distributors of an energy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":596247,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[45,49,48,13651,519,2845,175343],"class_list":["post-596246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-energy-drinks","tag-trending","tag-u-s-news","tag-wrongful-death"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=596246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/596247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=596246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=596246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=596246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}