Family sued after Sarah Katz died last year after drinking Charged Lemonade, apparently unaware of soda’s high caffeine content
Family sued after Sarah Katz died last year after drinking Charged Lemonade, apparently unaware of soda’s high caffeine content
A cup of coffee doesn’t have 390mg of caffeine, but a cup of the charged lemonade doesn’t either. The 390mg figure is for a large, which is 30 ounces, equivalent to about 4 cups of coffee, which is in the same general ballpark for caffeine content depending on the type of coffee and how it is brewed.
They’re using the 390mg figure because it sounds scary without putting it directly into context. They are relying on the reader not doing any math to see of that is actually an outrageous number which it isn’t.
The difference is that a reasonable person knows that 30 oz of coffee is way too much coffee, and a reasonable person knows that 30 oz of lemonade is a normal amount of lemonade.
The already existing sign on the lemonade said it had caffeine equivalent to a cup of coffee, before the death and lawsuit. It doesn’t take a leap of logic to recognize that even though it’s lemonade that the caffeine is going to be high when drinking that much.
Starbucks also sells 30oz iced coffees, where is the lawsuit there? At what point do we admit that there is a personal responsibility to read and comprehend a sign?
It’s not really that clearly labeled. It’s only really noticeable if you’re looking for caffeine or calorie content, but virtually everyone who isn’t specifically counting their calories will filter that text out just like you and I do. If there was reason to look out for caffeine in lemonade, you’d have an extremely good point, but I’m gonna go ahead and shout this at the top of my lungs:
LEMONADE DOESN’T NORMALLY HAVE CAFFEINE.
There is absolutely no damn reason to expect someone to look out for the caffeine content of lemonade. It’s like telling someone to watch out for all the alcohol in their sprite. You would not expect this lemonade to have caffeine in it if you walked up to the dispenser and filled up a large cup with it, unless you’re anal about calorie intake.
As I’ve said, a reasonable person understands that 30 oz of coffee is too much coffee, and 30 oz of lemonade is a normal amount of lemonade. Before you learned about this news story, the idea of 30 oz of lemonade having more caffeine in it than a red bull and a monster put together would never have crossed your mind.
Starbucks doesn’t sell coffee. They sell coffee themed drinks with lots of sugar and cream/milk.
It’s actually 6 cups of coffee. Coffee is typically 6oz cups for a serving.