How do we make coffee and tea drinking safer after this case?

A 16-year-old boy in Ziyang, Sichuan, died after reportedly choking on bubble tea. A spilled Mixue Bingcheng cup appeared in on-site video, and the company said no evidence linked the incident to its products. The family later clarified that the hospital found no foreign objects in the esophagus or trachea, and the cause of death was cardiac arrest.

The case drew attention to first aid for choking, including the Heimlich maneuver, which matters for any beverage business, just as care with recipes matters when asking how do we make coffee or tea. The incident occurred around 10 a.m. on July 24; emergency staff found no vital signs on arrival, and the boy could not be saved after treatment in intensive care.

In the height of summer, iced milk tea becomes the top choice for many people to beat the heat, but the hidden safety hazards cannot be ignored. Recently, a 16-year-old boy in Ziyang, Sichuan, is suspected to have died after choking on bubble tea, and a spilled Mixue Bingcheng milk tea appeared in the on-site video, sparking widespread attention. Mixue Bingcheng responded promptly, stating that there was no evidence linking the incident to its products. Subsequently, the family of the deceased clarified that the hospital reported no foreign objects in the esophagus or trachea, and the actual cause of death was cardiac arrest. The incident has once again raised public awareness of the Heimlich maneuver. This article will review the course of the incident, the responses from all parties, and explain the correct first-aid method for choking on foreign objects, helping everyone stay safe while enjoying delicious food.

When the weather gets hot, being able to drink a cold milk tea is simply a life-saving pleasure for many people. However, behind this joy, there may also be unexpected risks. Recently, the incident of a 16-year-old boy in Sichuan who is suspected to have died after choking on bubble tea has been widely discussed online. From the video leaked on site, a cup of overturned Mixue Bingcheng milk tea could be seen on the ground, and the brand's staff also gave a statement the day after the incident.

Multiple videos circulated online show that outside a Mixue Bingcheng and Suhe Chinese Pastry Shop on Zhengfu West Road in Yanjiang District, Ziyang City, a young man was lying on the ground, surrounded by medical staff and passersby performing first aid on him. Next to him on the ground, a cup of bubble tea had spilled, with the Mixue Bingcheng logo printed on the packaging.

According to a report by Red Star News, the incident occurred around 10 a.m. on July 24. At about 7 p.m. that day, a person in charge of the hospital revealed that when the 120 emergency personnel arrived at the scene, the boy had already shown no vital signs, and he could not be saved after being sent back to the hospital's intensive care unit. "The cause should be that the bubble tea choked into the trachea." The person in charge also mentioned that the boy was only 16 years old.

On the afternoon of the 25th, a staff member of Sichuan Mixue Bingcheng Catering Management Co., Ltd. said that they were not yet aware of the matter, had received no complaints, and had not received feedback from the branch store. At present, there was no evidence proving that drinking Mixue Bingcheng milk tea caused the choking. The staff member also added that if there was indeed a problem with the size of the pearls, the entire industry would need to adjust together, not just Mixue Bingcheng alone.

Once the news came out, netizens immediately exploded in discussion. Some felt that the boy's death should have another cause and that the responsibility should not be shifted onto the milk tea shop.

On the morning of July 26, Mr. Li, the brother of the deceased boy, told the media that his younger brother's cause of death was cardiac arrest. The hospital reported that there were no foreign objects in the esophagus or trachea, and he hoped the public would stop hyping the matter.

Netizens felt extremely saddened by the boy's passing, and at the same time it also fueled a wave of educational discussion about the "Heimlich maneuver."

Granular foods like peanuts, such as the tapioca pearls in bubble tea, do carry certain hidden risks, and the tapioca pearls used by milk tea shops usually have a uniform size. Even a small peanut has previously caused choking incidents. On June 12, a 4-year-old boy in Beijing choked on a peanut and suffocated, and fortunately a passerby performed emergency rescue and he escaped danger. Therefore, when eating this kind of food, the method and moderation are important.

Choking is very likely to happen because one is not focused enough while eating. The human throat has a structure called the "epiglottis." When breathing, the epiglottic cartilage lifts up, allowing air to pass smoothly through the trachea into the lungs; when swallowing, the epiglottic cartilage covers the opening of the larynx to prevent food from entering the trachea. Choking often occurs when the epiglottis does not have time to close, and food falls into the trachea.

A staff member from a hospital's respiratory department pointed out that once choking occurs, the Heimlich maneuver must be used immediately, using abdominal thrusts to compress the lungs and force out the foreign object blocking the trachea.

Huang Yanghui, deputy chief physician of the emergency department at the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University, said in an interview that when a foreign object causes choking, if the patient is still conscious, they can also save themselves—press the upper abdomen against a hard object such as the back of a chair (note: do not choose a chair back that is too sharp), the edge of a table, or a railing, and repeatedly bend forward to squeeze the abdomen with rapid thrusts. This action can be repeated.

The Heimlich maneuver for a conscious adult is performed as follows:

1. The rescuer stands behind the person being rescued and wraps both arms around their waist

2. Make a fist with one hand, with the thumb side aimed at the center of the abdomen below the rib cage and above the navel of the person being rescued

3. Use the other hand to cover the fist and press rapidly inward and upward

4. Repeat until the foreign object is expelled

Image source: Internet

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.