The health network Banner Health has issued an advisory indicating that bottles of 7Up soda in Mexicali, Mexico were found to be contaminated with methamphetamine. According to the warning, the contamination was caused by product tampering. The Arizona Republic reports that the contaminated drinks have caused one death and sickened seven people.
Mexicali is located just south of the border with California. But a spokesman for 7Up’s owner, Dr. Pepper Snapple, told the Republic that the issue doesn’t affect 7Up products sold in the U.S. PepsiCo manufactures and distributes 7Up internationally. The Attorney General’s office for Baja, Mexico said an investigation into the apparent tampering is underway.
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As Ars Technica points out, 7Up has been laced with drugs before – officially and intentionally. When it debuted in the 1920s, it contained lithium citrate, a mood stabilizer used to treat bipolar disorder. Lithium is now in much higher demand as the key component of high-capacity batteries.
Many sodas, in fact, have their origins as drug-laced patent medicines – Coca-Cola contained coca leaf extract – cocaine, more or less – for the first 20 years of its history.