Feb 23, 2007 8:28 am US/Mountain
Spike Shooter Makers Stand By Their Energy Drink
Spike Pulled From 7-Elevens, More Students Report Sickness
by Jodi Brooks
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) ―
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7-Eleven stores in Colorado started pulling Spike Shooter energy drinks off shelves after students at several high schools reportedly got sick after using the product.
CBS
A popular, but potentially dangerous energy drink was being removed from 7-Eleven stores in Colorado Thursday after several reports of high school students using the beverage and becoming sick. The company which makes Spike Shooter said it has no plans to change the product or stop marketing it.
One can of Spike Shooter has about the same amount of caffeine as three cups of coffee. A high school in Colorado Springs banned the beverage and sent letters home to warn parents.
The Cherry Creek School District said Thursday it will also send warning letters to parents after several students at Smoky Hill High School got sick.
Tim Patterson, chief executive officer of Colorado Springs-based Biotest Laboratories, which produces Spike Shooter, said the drink isn't intended for anyone under 18.
"I think it's a little disingenuous for them to say that they're not marketing to teenagers, that the drink isn't suitable for teenagers, and then set up shop near a high school to hand out free samples," said Tustin Amole, a spokesperson for Cherry Creek Schools.
The makers of Spike Shooter said they do not market to teenagers. They said it was simply chance that the 7-Eleven where the marketing campaign was being held was across the street from Smoky Hill.
One student who said he was given a free can of Spike Shooter last Friday was David Bickel.
"I started shaking uncontrollably, my hands and my face turned blue, and I guess my heart just wasn't working right," Bickel said.
He became ill and went to the emergency room where doctors diagnosed him with a caffeine overdose.
"I don't want these kids consuming the product," Patterson said, "That's not my target market."
He said thousands of consumers have used the product without a problem.
Spike Shooter's did express some concern about people getting sick.
"You don't know how the people took the product or anything else, that makes it very difficult to even comment on it, but rest assured there's thousands of people that absolutely love the drink," said Tom DeNardin, a spokesperson for the company which makes Spike Shooter.
The cans suggest consumers test their tolerance to Spike Shooter by drinking only half a can the first time they use it.
The company, which also produces products it says burn fat or enhance testosterone, warns on its Web site that Spike Shooter should not be consumed by people taking certain other medications or if they have high blood pressure or a number of other conditions. It adds, "Keep out of reach of children."
CBS4 medical editor Dr. Dave Hnida said he has concerns about the drink because he doesn't know all of the ingredients it has, which can make it difficult to treat patients who become sick after using the product. The company's CEO said in a statement that he won't reveal the secret formula that make's Spike unique.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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