Natural selection at work
Posted: 2016-01-27 12:49pm
http://www.wsmv.com/story/31060286/inve ... rier-teens
GREENBRIER, TN (WSMV) -
Law enforcement in Greenbrier is investigating the deaths of two teenagers.
One teen, 16-year-old Logan Stephenson, was found unresponsive in his home in Greenbrier and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another teen was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he later died. The second victim has not yet been identified.
Police said they believe the teens may have ingested racing fuel mixed with Mountain Dew.
The Greenbrier Police Department said it is not clear if the two incidents are related, but they believe this is isolated to one specific group of teens. Foul play is not suspected in either case.
The medical examiner's office will be releasing a report about the teens' cause of death within the next two weeks.
“I feel quite certain these people did not understand the potential lethality of this ingestion,” said Donna Seger, medical director with the Tennessee Poison Control Center.
Seger said this is the first time she has heard of the mixture, known as “Dew Shine.” PepsiCo distributes a non-alcoholic drink under the same name unrelated to the dangerous mixture.
“It’s a mixture of Mountain Dew and then methanol in racing fuel,” she said. “There’s a little bit of methanol in the alcohol you drink, and that’s said to cause the hangover. To drink straight methanol is really a recipe for disaster.”
Seger said two other teens who drank the mixture were treated and released.
“It’s affecting things on the cellular level,” Seger said. “It’s threatening the eyes, can cause one to go blind.”
There is now a memorial at Stephenson’s parking spot at Greenbrier High School. While the city mourns the loss of two teens, Seger said she hopes to reach others with a warning.
“If you don’t know what’s in it or how dangerous it is, you shouldn’t take it,” she said.
A vigil for Stephenson will be held at the high school on Tuesday night.
Anyone with information about the deaths of the teens is urged to call the Greenbrier Police Department at 615-643-4467.
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