Teens dead after drinking Mountain Dew with racing fuel

(Newser) – Two teen boys in rural Tennessee are dead after apparently drinking a blend of racing fuel and Mountain Dew last week—something others have since admitted to drinking as well.

Logan Stephenson, 16, was pronounced dead at his home in Greenbrier on Thursday morning, and the police chief tells WZTV that others told him "the color of his skin had changed and he started having a seizure. His hands started drawing up." Logan's best friend, JD Byram, was rushed to a nearby medical center in a coma, and died Monday afternoon.

"Our hearts are heavy today as we have learned that a second young man has died from the incident last week," says the Robertson County sheriff, per WATE. "We ask that everyone continue to pray for both of these families as they go through this tragic time."

Source.

Gamer fuel taken to the xTr3m3!?

Glitchspot!

#justsouthernthings

Damn Mountain Dew. If they'd drunk the racing fuel "neat", they'd still be alive today.

:-(

Survival of the fittest.

early darwin award nominees

Obviously we need to outlaw Mountain Dew and racing fuel.

Addiction to drugs doesn't make someone a bad person. I've known plenty of drug addicts, some friends and some acquaintances, some good people and some bad. Had a few who ODed and died as well. Them doing drugs or dying because of them doesn't define their morality. Though my mom is a drug addict and alcoholic and it has only made her more selfish, hateful, mean and irrational, but she was mostly a bad person even before because her mental problem and raising made her that way.

And being a victim of natural selection like these kids were doesn't make them bad, it just makes them stupid if they did it intentionally.

I think we may already have the winner of the 2016 Darwin award right here. Jesus Christ how fucking stupid are people?

Dumb kids, this is why people need to not freak out about kids smoking pot. Let them. Otherwise they do even more dumb shit like this, or end up in comas from smoking pills. Weed has killed nobody.

Such a tragic waste.

Sounds sick dude.

No problems, just enlightening you with my knowledge of the subject since you seem unable the empathize and understand. Not having the ability to withstand that pull of their addiction doesn't make them bad. Every person is built differently, lives differently and have been through their own things that make them who they are, so judging people based on your own circumstances and ability to withstand the pull of addiction is dismissive of thought and empathy.

racing fuel is a beverage brand, right? =o

The fools!

Never mix poisonous Mt Dew with your wholesome, nutritious racing fuel!

It's funny, because people think it's an exaggeration.

But it's true. Weed has killed no one. Literally no one. Ever. To reach the LD50 levels of pot, well, first off it's literally impossible to consume that much. So it doesn't even matter lol

Did they at least win the race?

I don't empathize at all.

It's a silly thing to say because one has nothing to do with the other.

Does anyone think that access to pot would have PREVENTED these kids from doing this? As if they really just wanted pot, but since their parents don't want them doing pot they had to drink racing fuel instead? I mean, come on. Parents have been freaking out about pot for decades, and the kids still just went out and did pot anyway. Regardless of what you or I think about pot, what the hell does pot use have to do with a couple of teenagers who killed themselves by drinking racing fuel?

Kids want a recreational high/buzz, yes I think access to one would go a long way toward preventing the other. Can't say for certainty it would prevent every case but it'd help. Just look at the krokodil epidemic sweeping across Russia because of their success at eliminating access to heroin.

Also, our drug education needs to change. Instead of the nations drug education consisting of showing the worst crackheads going bonkers and saying that's what 'drugs' does to you, how about properly educating kids about what each drugs do to them, how they're done, basically preparing them the same way sex education is taught, and that's not to tell them to do it, but to simply say - if you must, then we at least want you to do it right. Also, drug education greatly undermines itself because it basically oversells fear to children, who once they flirt with the use of mind altering substances comes to greatly devalue the drug education they have received. If they can properly develop an understanding of what these substances are and what they can do to their body/mind, maybe it can help them not go do anything really stupid.

All these makeshift highs are the result of people looking to fill holes left in the drug market. This is why people do dumb things like bath salts, fake weed that kills them, smoking banana peels, vodka soaked cigarettes, whatever. Not saying they should, but they'd be a lot safer just sticking with the tried and true forms of self medicating.

I'm speechless...

Dude, we're talking about POT. There is no shortage of pot, everyone smokes pot (not me, I'm just saying that it's really easy to get).

Furthermore, does Mountain Dew plus racing fuel even give a high similar to pot? I don't know but I really sort of doubt it. And that's a REALLY big point. You bring up krokodil, but the whole reason why that became a thing is because it's a substitute FOR HEROIN. As in, there was a lack of heroin, there was access to krokodil, and krocodil was the closest thing to heroin that people could get. It's not as if people just wanted to get high on SOMETHING so they chose the worst ****ing thing they could find. They specifically looked for a drug that gave an effect similar to the drug that they actually wanted. Krokodil happened because heroin users felt like krokodil was an acceptable substitute for heroin. That analogy does not work unless the teens in this story were ALREADY marijuana users and if their access to marijuana ALREADY dried up and if Mt Dew plus racing fuel is actually an acceptable substitute for marijuana. That's not an insignificant thing, that's HUGE. Different drugs give a different kind of high. It's not as if lack of access to alcohol suddenly makes all alcoholics turn to crack instead.

Also, it's a silly thing for you to say because there's absolutely no indication that the kids didn't even have access to marijuana. Hell, there's no indication that these kids even did this because their parents freaked out about marijuana. You completely made that whole narrative up in order to suit a pro-pot agenda. There's nothing in the article saying that this had ANYTHING to do with their parents freaking out over pot. And even if their parents did freak out over pot, don't you think they'd also freak out about their kids drinking ****ing racing fuel? If freakiing out is the issue here, then you're still putting out a bunch of nonsense. It's not as if any parents freak out when their kids smoke weed but then say, "but I guess racing fuel is okay." Parents would freak out even MORE if they found out that their kids were drinking goddamned racing fuel, so how the hell are you blaming this on the completely hypothetical possibility that MAYBE the teens did this because the parents were freaked out about weed? You haven't provided a SINGLE shred of evidence that this has ANYTHING to do with weed whatsoever. All you've done is look at this with a pro-weed agenda, decided that it's THEORETICALLY POSSIBLE that they did this because of a lack of weed, and then used that narrative (that I have to point out again, you completely made up) in order to advocate against advocating against use of marijuana. That's just....really ****ing sick, dude.

EDIT: Or hell, let's put this more simply. These parents' kids just DIED. And then the first thing you do is to blame them for their kids' deaths, just because it's POSSIBLE that the kids only did this dumb shit because their parents told their kids not to use pot. You seriously don't see how absolutely tasteless that is? You seriously don't see how trashy it is to blame the parents for being responsible for their own children's deaths for being too anti-weed, when there's nothing in the article to indicate that weed had a single damn thing with to do with why the kids did this?

Uh kind of what happens when you ingest things not intended to be ingested. Oh well.....

I believe this is what is commonly known as "natural selection."

The racing fuel was probably wood alcohol based. The symptoms sound like methanol poisoning. People have been killing themselves with that for centuries.

the lesson here is don't drink methanol, or any alcohols, other than maybe ethanol. But you have to be careful because fuel grade ethanol is denatured and will also cause a quick death.

Did they think it would have the same effects of a bottle of liquor?

Where did I go blame the parents? I'm speaking in generality about a major flaw in how kids are raised in general with regards to drug education, you're going and putting words in my mouth saying I'm blaming the parents. I'm speaking of schools, after all most schools teach sex ed (as many parents like to defer that uncomfortable subject with their kids), they're also the ones that teach about drug education, which is more a fear tactic deterrent than actual drug education. This is something best left to the educational system, not parents. They just need to change the strategy of how they go about it.

Yeah, I agree I don't know if in this case specifically pot would have avoided such stupid shit (I mentioned that in my previous post). But I do think that by and large people looking for makeshift ways to get fucked up having no other options available will do stupid shit like this. And pot isn't as readily available for all kids as one might think.

Also, yes people freak out about weed still. What world are you living in? If someone went and sold a kid a joint how much time would they get for that? Versus what they would get if someone tried to molest them instead? I hear it when police shoot and kill unarmed people of color like "he had THC in his system" like that made it all right, or "he had THC in his system" as a cause of death to clear cops when they smash someones head in saying it was the drugs not his severe beating. Marijuana is still very much vilified by society.

Common sense folks, use them please.

ITT:

Mountain Dew is dangerous.

Racing fuel is healthy.

Dude, just stop. THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THIS HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH MARIJUANA. If anything, these kids likely wanted to get DRUNK, since drinking damn racing fuel is more likely to be a substitute for liquor. Are you suggesting that we do away with the legal drinking age and just let people sell booze to ANYONE, simply on the off chance that an absolutely tiny number of minors are going to kill themselves trying to get drunk? Are you suggesting that people STOP telling minors not to drink booze, just because a tiny number of kids are gonna do something stupid like this?

You still haven't provided any evidence that this was caused by ANYONE freaking out about ANYTHING. And even if it was, that's not a reason for not freaking out. People have been telling kids not to drink or do illegal drugs for decades, and yet most kids are damn smart enough to not go drink ****ing racing fuel. Don't you DARE try blaming this on anti-drug sentiment. If these kids did this because it was illegal for them to buy booze (or weed), then kids have been illegally obtaining liquor that was meant for human consumption for lord knows how long. Get a fake ID. Go get a friend who has an older brother who's willing to buy the shit for you. Hell, hang out outside of a gas station and pay a shifty looking dude to get you a case of beer. People have been doing this for ages, man, and all of those options are a hell of a lot better than just saying, "screw it, I'll just go drink racing fuel." The fact that these kids were that damn stupid does not AT ALL mean we should stop trying to prevent them from having access to drugs or alcohol.

There's no indication it didn't.

If anything, these kids likely wanted to get DRUNK, since drinking damn racing fuel is more likely to be a substitute for liquor.

Alcohol is much easier for kids to get a hold of since many households keep it regularly in stock. Plus, I imagine racing fuel is also a lot more difficult to get a hold of than either.

Are you suggesting that we do away with the legal drinking age and just let people sell booze to ANYONE, simply on the off chance that an absolutely tiny number of minors are going to kill themselves trying to get drunk?

No because unlike weed alcohol actually does kill.

Are you suggesting that people STOP telling minors not to drink booze, just because a tiny number of kids are gonna do something stupid like this?

No, again, booze kills. Increasing prevalence of weed in general and not okaying it for kids would mean that any deviation from societal norms wouldn't have as drastic unintended consequences when children wish to experiment in mind altering substances by keeping safer products for them to experiment within their grasp.

You still haven't provided any evidence that this was caused by ANYONE freaking out about ANYTHING.

Again, it's not something that needs to be proven. Research the drug war. Mandatory minimal sentences. And things like sentencing enhancers.

Don't you DARE try blaming this on anti-drug sentiment. If these kids did this because it was illegal for them to buy booze (or weed), then kids have been illegally obtaining liquor that was meant for human consumption for lord knows how long. Get a fake ID. Go get a friend who has an older brother who's willing to buy the shit for you. Hell, hang out outside of a gas station and pay a shifty looking dude to get you a case of beer. People have been doing this for ages, man, and all of those options are a hell of a lot better than just saying, "screw it, I'll just go drink racing fuel."

How dare you try acting like a mature adult and say such profoundly stupid shit by suggesting kids ingest something that is actually lethal. Again, I don't condone alcohol because that actually does kill. Plus I don't know why you'd say that and bother even responding to my posts in the first place.

The fact that these kids were that damn stupid does not AT ALL mean we should stop trying to prevent them from having access to drugs or alcohol.

The most effective means to this is through education, like I said before, and I mean proper education, not some bullshit anti-intellectual fear mongering. It's self defeating because when kids do start to experiment with drugs it completely undervalues everything they were taught. It is a proper sentiment to enforce drug prevention, but do it the right way. Should they stop teen sex by throwing everybody that engages in it in jail? Or showing them picture books of STDs and telling them the only way to avoid is is not to do it? Of course not.

Racing Fuel?

Like Leaded Gasoline?

And they mixed it with Mountain Dew and drank it?

Is that a new Facebook challenge thing or something?

@bmanva said:

I thought about this a little more after reading it and remembered that some racing fuel is straight ethyl alcohol, the same kind in those adult beverages that we enjoy. So either the kids knew this and maybe perhaps didn't get the right combination of fuel to Dew (i.e. fuel is likely close to 100% ethyl alcohol, making it extremely poisonous) or fucked up and got the wrong kind (i.e. leaded gasoline, nitromethane, etc).

Either way, it was a dumb idea.

From now on Mountain Dew will have to stamp on their cans: DO NOT MIX WITH RACING FUEL or the company will be sued for everything it has.

Does the US's strict 21 drinking age cause more deaths and alcoholism, or does europes laxed drinking age cause more deaths and alcoholism? I knew a kid that on his second month in college was doing shots of straight ever clear and was dead within 15 minutes. If your able to try a little whiskey or weed during your teenage years, maybe you don't go apeshit the first time the parents are out of the house?

What a waste of Mountain Dew...

Back in my day, people just mixed Coke with alcohol, now people will mix anything with anything. Really sad, though.

Found our culprit.

Let's make a guess what will make the headlines next?

I honestly can't stop laughing...

This reminds me of two young adults that died one winter back in my home town. They sat in a garage with a generator running and had zero ventilation. Fucking idiots.....

What a hell is racing fuel.. I don't even wanna know.

@one_plum said:

Found our culprit.

Let's make a guess what will make the headlines next?

Don't NASCAR cars run on leaded gasoline? These kids couldn't have been THAT dumb to mix gas with Dew.

@foxhound_fox: 15% ethanol 85% unleaded, 98 octane rating.