Lawmakers move to ban powered caffeine in US

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WPVI) -- Some lawmakers, and at least two families, are calling on the FDA to ban all sales of powdered caffeine.

They say the supplement is deadly, and should not be on the market.

Powdered caffeine is extremely dangerous.

It's 100 percent pure caffeine.

If you compare it to coffee, just one teaspoon is equal to about 28 cups of coffee.

And it only takes about one tablespoon to lead to chest pain, irregular heart beat, seizures and even death.

And the families of two young men, who reportedly died from taking powdered caffeine, are urging the FDA to ban the product.

The FDA says it's unclear exactly how many cases of caffeine overdose there are because most people don't think of caffeine as dangerous and a fatal overdose can look just like a heart attack.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that dietary supplements send more than 23,000 people to the hospital every year.

The FDA said it has received no reports of adverse events since warning letters were sent out to five caffeine producers in August 2015.

Many products went off the market.

But some lawmakers say that's not enough. They want an all-out ban.