A college-bound, 17-year-old from Weslaco, Texas, named Larissa Nicole Rodriguez passed away in October 2025 after drinking the famous Alani Nu Energy Drink. If limits on energy drinks had been implemented in the U.S., Rodriguez’s tragic death likely could have been prevented.
The family’s attorney Benny Agosto Jr. described Rodriguez as a cheerleader “full of life, full of love, smart, academic and with a bright future.”
In an NBC article, the Hidalgo County medical examiner determined that Rodriguez passed because of “an enlarged heart due to stress and large amounts of caffeine.”
Rodriguez frequently drank the cardiovascular-straining energy drink Alani Nu. Alani Nu primarily targets young women who seek wellness and an aesthetic lifestyle through colorful and stylish branding. In just one 12-fluid-ounce can of an Alani Nu, there are 200 milligrams of caffeine, which is roughly equivalent to three espresso shots. Alani Nu claims to have health benefits — such as improving metabolic support and supporting hormonal balancing for those with polycystic ovary syndrome — utilizing ingredients such as biotin. Agosto believes Rodriguez drank Alani Nu because of the supposed health benefits from advertisements on social media. Approximately two-thirds of teens report occasionally drinking an energy drink. Rodriguez was another teen in the statistics.
Alani is not the only company to have allegations of death from dangerous amounts of caffeine. Panera Bread previously sold a charged lemonade containing 290 milligrams of caffeine in a regular drink. This drink took the lives of 21-year-old Sarah Katz and 46-year-old Dennis Brown.
Countries abroad, such as England and Australia, have already moved to ban energy drinks for underage children — a federal law that the U.S. should follow along with. In the U.S., there are no federal regulations that prevent minors from buying extremely caffeinated drinks. The Food and Drug Administration treats energy drinks as a conventional drink, such as soda or water.
There have been efforts in states such as Indiana and Connecticut to ban the sale of energy drinks to minors; however, these caffeinated beverage companies have unfortunately pushed back, resulting in no regulation for energy drinks because consumers should not be barred from drinking caffeine. There must be limitations on who can access potentially dangerous energy drinks.
The consumers’ lives are in the hands of these companies. If agencies keep catering to minors and can live with the fact that adolescents are dying because of them — then they are complicit in choosing profit over human life.
