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Sen. Sherrod Brown Wants Federal Action On Caffeine Powder

After an Ohio teen died from an overdose of pure caffeine last year, state lawmakers took quick action and banned it. Some think there needs to be federal action as well. Statehouse reporter Andy Chow has more.

18-year-old Logan Stiner of LaGrange was just days away from graduating high school when he fatally overdosed on pure caffeine. It's a powdered substance people add to food and drinks for energy.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown says the FDA is not moving fast enough on banning retail sales and marketing of the product. To support this call to action is Rick Spiller, director of the Central Ohio Poison Control Center, who says one teaspoon of pure caffeine can equal 25 cups of coffee.

"By the time you've already absorbed one teaspoon and you're already about to seize-it's too late-there's nothing you can do. You already got that dose," said Spiller.

Ohio passed a law to ban the sale of pure caffeine products. That ban goes into effect at the end of September.