Over five years through March 2016, more than 100 people were hospitalized for emergency treatment due to caffeine intoxication and three of them died, a study by the Japanese Society for Clinical Toxicology showed Tuesday.
A leading researcher at the society warns that consumers and authorities should be more aware of the risks of ingesting too much caffeine, not only through the consumption of energy drinks but also from tablets to prevent sleepiness. The researcher is calling for tougher marketing regulations.
The society, based in Tokyo, collected the data on caffeine intoxication in a first-of-its-kind study covering 38 emergency medical institutions nationwide from fiscal 2011 to 2015.