How does that work when she's already had children?
Northcutt has stated five requirements for a Darwin Award:[2][14]
Inability to reproduce
Nominee must be dead or rendered sterile.
Sometimes this can be a matter of dispute. Potential awardees may be out of the gene pool due to age; others have already reproduced before their deaths. To avoid debates about the possibility of in-vitro fertilization, artificial insemination, or cloning, the original Darwin Awards book applied the following "deserted island" test to potential winners: If the person were unable to reproduce when stranded on a deserted island with a fertile member of the opposite sex, he or she would be considered sterile.[15] Winners of the award, in general, either are dead or have become unable to use their sexual organs.
Excellence
Astoundingly stupid judgment.
The candidate's foolishness must be unique and sensational, likely because the award is intended to be funny. A number of foolish but common activities, such as smoking in bed, are excluded from consideration. In contrast, self-immolation caused by smoking after being administered a flammable ointment in a hospital and specifically told not to smoke is grounds for nomination.[16] One 'Honorable Mention' (a man who attempted suicide by swallowing nitroglycerine pills, and then tried to detonate them by running into a wall) is noted to be in this category, despite being intentional and self-inflicted, which would normally disqualify the inductee.[17]
Self-selection
Cause of one's own demise.
Killing a friend with a hand grenade would not be eligible, but killing oneself while manufacturing a homemade chimney-cleaning device from a grenade would be eligible.[18] To earn a Darwin Award, one must have killed oneself; merely causing death to a third party is insufficient.
Maturity
Capable of sound judgment.
The nominee must be at least past the legal driving age and free of mental defect (Northcutt considers injury or death caused by mental defect to be tragic, rather than amusing, and routinely disqualifies such entries). After much discussion, there also exists a small category regarding deaths below this age limit. Entry into this category requires that the peers of the candidate be of the opinion that the actions of the person in question were above and beyond the limits of reason.
Veracity
The event must be verified.
The story must be documented by reliable sources: e.g., reputable newspaper articles, confirmed television reports, or responsible eyewitnesses. If a story is found to be untrue, it is disqualified, but particularly amusing ones are placed in the urban legend section of the archives. Despite this requirement, many of the stories are fictional, often appearing as "original submissions" and presenting no further sources than unverified (and unreliable) "eyewitnesses". Most such stories on Northcutt's Darwin Awards site are filed in the Personal Accounts section.
In addition, later revisions to the qualification criteria add several requirements that have not been made into formalized 'rules': innocent bystanders cannot be in danger, and the qualifying event must be caused without deliberate intent (to prevent glory-seekers from purposely injuring themselves solely to win a Darwin).
She is dead. She caused her own demise. She was apparently capable of engaging in willing sexual activity and carrying the children for 9 months, making that choice for herself. She didn't mean to drink herself to death via cola consumption but did anyway.
Ergo, she qualifies. It doesn't say that you can't have children and still be nominated. Just that you must be dead or rendered sterile as a result of your stupid action.
In summer I can regularly drink 8-10 cans of diet coke or pepsi max per day. In winter about half of that is replaced by coffees.
Keep trying to cut down but I love my caffeine.
She dose not look old enough to have 8 children I never drink coke I hate the taste of it reminds me of disinfectant
A mum's addiction to drinking 18 pints of Coca-Cola a day probably killed her, a coroner has ruled.
Natasha Harris, mother of eight, suffered a cardiac arrest after guzzling more than 50,000 pints of the soft drink over eight years.
Her dependence on it also led to the loss of her teeth - and one of her kids being born without tooth enamel.
Her partner Christopher Hodgkinson said: “I didn’t ever think about the Coke. I never considered it would do any harm to a person. It’s just a soft drink, just like drinking water. I didn’t think a drink’s going to kill you.”
He went on to explain how Natasha got hooked and said: “She would get moody and get headaches if she didn’t have any Coke and also feel low in energy.”
The 30-year-old’s family said labels on the bottles do not contain warnings about the drink’s possible addictiveness.
Christopher’s mother, Vivien Hodgkinson, said Natasha had “withdrawal symptoms” and would go “crazy” if the soft drink ran out.
Christopher discovered her at their home in Invercargill, New Zealand, slumped in the bathroom and gasping for air in February 2010.
He told the inquest how her health had deteriorated in the time leading up to her death.
He said: “She had no energy and was feeling sick all the time. She would get up and vomit in the morning.”
Coroner David Crerar said: “I find that, when all of the available evidence is considered, were it not for the consumption of very large quantities of Coke by Natasha Harris, it is unlikely that she would have died when she died and how she died".
The story is bollocks, as coca-cola say themselves that the cause of death is far from clear.
The quantities of caffeine may have contributed to a heart related issue, but to run with that headline is an example of typical tabloid journalism - aware that most people don't bother to actually read the story.
Any other interesting bits of information in the article I wonder?
A New Zealand mother died from a cardiac arrest after drinking up to 18 pints of Coca-Cola a day for two years a coroner has ruled.
...
The 30-year-old from Invercargill on New Zealand's south island died in February 2010 of cardiac arrhythmia - or a disrupted heartbeat - following about 18 months of ill health. She was found slumped in the bathroom at home, gasping for air.
...
Ms Harris had drunk Coke heavily since her teens and the amount she drank meant she had more than twice the safe daily limit of caffeine.
...
She did not drink alcohol or smoke cannabis, but smoked about 30 cigarettes a day
...
Eighteen pints, 2.25 gallons or approx 10L, a day is not exactly the usual pattern of Coca Cola consumption.
It probably wouldn't happen in the UK ... you couldn't afford it.
£10 on Coca Cola + £10 (ish) on cigarettes every day.
Any food or drink ingested to excess is likely to kill you. Too much water can, and I also remember a program about strange and unusual deaths once mentioning a man who died from drinking too much carrot juice.
Oh, I see she smoked - then it couldn't possibly have been anything else and coca-cola are therefore completely exonerated.
That said, news sources need to make up their minds - yahoo says 'up to 30 per day' and the other source (as above) says 'about 30 per day' which is far from being the same thing!
She dose not look old enough to have 8 children I never drink coke I hate the taste of it reminds me of disinfectant
Natasha Harris, mother of eight, suffered a cardiac arrest after guzzling more than 50,000 pints of the soft drink over eight years......... The 30-year-old’s family said labels on the bottles do not contain warnings about the drink’s possible addictiveness.
Christopher’s mother, Vivien Hodgkinson, said Natasha had “withdrawal symptoms” and would go “crazy” if the soft drink ran out.........Source - The Sun
I thought my 5-6 cans of diet a day was shockingly high! Don't feel so bad now....
I feel like a total lightweight as well. My current consumption in the working week is a tin of diet coke first thing (also a Red Bull; sue me) and two single serving bottles during the day. I thought that was bad.
I drink 1-2 litres a day of Coke I can confirm it is addictive
Yep, I used to drink almost 6 liters of Diet Coke a day. I've stopped now thank ****, but the withdrawal effects were horrendous. I still drink the odd bottle now and again but (touch wood) haven't gone back to my nasty old habits
The story is bollocks, as coca-cola say themselves that the cause of death is far from clear.
The quantities of caffeine may have contributed to a heart related issue, but to run with that headline is an example of typical tabloid journalism - aware that most people don't bother to actually read the story.
Phew! As long as Coca Cola say it's okay. I totally trust them.
Comments
She is dead. She caused her own demise. She was apparently capable of engaging in willing sexual activity and carrying the children for 9 months, making that choice for herself. She didn't mean to drink herself to death via cola consumption but did anyway.
Ergo, she qualifies. It doesn't say that you can't have children and still be nominated. Just that you must be dead or rendered sterile as a result of your stupid action.
I was born without enamel
Keep trying to cut down but I love my caffeine.
A mum's addiction to drinking 18 pints of Coca-Cola a day probably killed her, a coroner has ruled.
Natasha Harris, mother of eight, suffered a cardiac arrest after guzzling more than 50,000 pints of the soft drink over eight years.
Her dependence on it also led to the loss of her teeth - and one of her kids being born without tooth enamel.
Her partner Christopher Hodgkinson said: “I didn’t ever think about the Coke. I never considered it would do any harm to a person. It’s just a soft drink, just like drinking water. I didn’t think a drink’s going to kill you.”
He went on to explain how Natasha got hooked and said: “She would get moody and get headaches if she didn’t have any Coke and also feel low in energy.”
The 30-year-old’s family said labels on the bottles do not contain warnings about the drink’s possible addictiveness.
Christopher’s mother, Vivien Hodgkinson, said Natasha had “withdrawal symptoms” and would go “crazy” if the soft drink ran out.
Christopher discovered her at their home in Invercargill, New Zealand, slumped in the bathroom and gasping for air in February 2010.
He told the inquest how her health had deteriorated in the time leading up to her death.
He said: “She had no energy and was feeling sick all the time. She would get up and vomit in the morning.”
Coroner David Crerar said: “I find that, when all of the available evidence is considered, were it not for the consumption of very large quantities of Coke by Natasha Harris, it is unlikely that she would have died when she died and how she died".
Source - The Sun
The quantities of caffeine may have contributed to a heart related issue, but to run with that headline is an example of typical tabloid journalism - aware that most people don't bother to actually read the story.
Edit: just because it didn't kill her directly doesn't mean it was not responsible or related to the cause...
Eighteen pints, 2.25 gallons or approx 10L, a day is not exactly the usual pattern of Coca Cola consumption.
It probably wouldn't happen in the UK ... you couldn't afford it.
£10 on Coca Cola + £10 (ish) on cigarettes every day.
That said, news sources need to make up their minds - yahoo says 'up to 30 per day' and the other source (as above) says 'about 30 per day' which is far from being the same thing!
monther of 8! by 30!?!?!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/dietandfitness/9163138/Over-drinking-can-be-deadlier-than-dehydration.html
Not relevant to this lady, but as some people were talking about on the thread.
there was something a while ago about a certain diet that said you should drink x amount of water a day and some woman took it to the extreme and died
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7779079.stm
I feel like a total lightweight as well. My current consumption in the working week is a tin of diet coke first thing (also a Red Bull; sue me) and two single serving bottles during the day. I thought that was bad.
Yep, I used to drink almost 6 liters of Diet Coke a day. I've stopped now thank ****, but the withdrawal effects were horrendous. I still drink the odd bottle now and again but (touch wood) haven't gone back to my nasty old habits
Don't think finding the cure for cancer is going to be hampered because of this.
Nothing to see here move along.
Phew! As long as Coca Cola say it's okay. I totally trust them.
Why do they sell it in 330ml cans then? If you buy a can are you supposed to chuck 130ml of it away?