Personal trainer Tom Mansfield, from Colwyn Bay in the UK, was attempting to use caffeine powder to make a health drink when a miscalculation had unintended consequences. The kitchen scales he used to measure the powder had a range of 2 grams to 5,000 grams, and the 29-year-old was attempting to weigh a recommended dose of 60-300mg. His miscalculation led to a massive overdose. The father of two immediately fell ill, and minutes after going to lie down, he began foaming at the mouth. His wife called an ambulance, but it was too late. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate Mansfield for 45 minutes, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. A postmortem examination showed that Mansfield had caffeine levels of 392mg per liter of blood. Caffeine levels would typically be 2-4mg per liter if someone had a single cup of coffee. His incorrect miscalculation had a fatal effect. Mansfield had purchased a 100g bag of the powder from Blackburn Distributions. Director Ben Blackburn said the powder should be weighed to two decimal places in milligrams, but Mansfield got his math wrong and it cost him his life. The company has since enhanced the usage instructions and increased the prominence of potential side effects.
