A 13-year-old boy named Jacob Stevens from Ohio passed away at the hospital due to an overdose after participating in the TikTok "Benadryl Challenge."
This dangerous trend involves taking 12 to 14 antihistamines, which is six times more than the recommended dosage, to experience hallucinations. With this tragic incident, the boy's parents are raising awareness and advising other parents to keep an eye on their children's online activity to prevent them from taking part in hazardous trends.
TikTok's Benadryl Challenge Claims Lives
Jacob's father, Justin Stevens, shared with the Daily Mail that his son and his friends were recording him while attempting a social media challenge.
According to Justin, Jacob's body began seizing uncontrollably after taking the medication, and he was immediately rushed to the hospital. However, despite the medical team's best efforts, the boy's condition worsened, and he was placed on a ventilator.
Tragically, Jacob passed away six days later, with his father describing it as the worst day of his life. The family was informed that there were no brain scans and that there was no activity, leaving them devastated.
Jacob's grandmother, Dianna Stevens, expressed her grief, stating that she would do everything in her power to ensure that no other child had to go through the same ordeal. The family's pain was evident as they urged other parents to keep a close eye on their children's social media activities and warn them of the dangers of participating in unsupervised trends and challenges.
According to ABC, Justin even contacted local lawmakers to discuss enacting age restrictions on over-the-counter medications like Benadryl, which was involved in the tragedy. The incident has brought attention to the dangerous trend of social media challenges, which have resulted in several fatalities in recent years.
These viral trends often involve dangerous activities, and teenagers are often tempted to participate to gain attention and approval on social media.
Jacob's tragic passing has left a void in his family's life, and they hope that by sharing their story, they can prevent other families from experiencing the same pain.
Dangers of Overdosing OTC Medications
The Benadryl Challenge is a disturbing trend that has been circulating on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, since 2020. The challenge involves taking excessive amounts of the over-the-counter allergy medication diphenhydramine (Benadryl) to induce hallucinations, often resulting in dangerous health consequences.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Johnson & Johnson unit that produces Benadryl have both issued warnings against the trend. It has been made known that taking higher than recommended doses of diphenhydramine can lead to serious health problems such as death, coma, seizures, or heart problems. They urge parents, caregivers, and consumers to store all OTC and prescription medicines up and away, out of children's reach and sight, and to lock them up to prevent accidental poisoning by children and misuse by teens.
The Benadryl Challenge has been associated with several reports of teenagers ending up in emergency rooms or dying after participating in the trend. Unfortunately, there have already been fatalities linked to the challenge, according to the New York Post.
In August 2020, a 15-year-old girl fatally overdosed on diphenhydramine during an attempt at the stunt, underscoring the danger of the trend.
It is also advised that it is essential to educate children and teenagers about the potential dangers of over-the-counter medications and to seek medical attention immediately if they or someone they know experiences adverse effects from any medication.
