Youngsters do the challenge to bring on hallucinations
A 13-year-old boy has died after participating in a viral TikTok challenge.
Jacob Stevens downed a dangerous amount of allergy medication for the “Benadryl challenge”, which began circulating on the social media platform in 2020.
The parents of the Ohio schoolboy had to turn off his life support after he spent six days on a ventilator.
Justin Stevens, the father of the teenager, told ABC6 his son was at home with friends when he decided to try the dare. As his pals filmed, Jacob started to have a seizure.
Back in 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about the risks associated with taking higher than recommended doses of Benadryl.
The organisation said taking part in the trend could lead to “serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death”.
The medication is not intended for children under the age of 12.
Youngsters do the challenge to bring on hallucinations.
A 15-year-old girl from Oklahoma died in 2020 after trying the dare. Several participants have been hospitalised after taking part.
Benadryl is an antihistamine used to treat symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes from allergies and hay fever. It’s safe and effective when used as recommended, the FDA said.
The maker of Benadryl, Johnson & Johnson, called the challenge “dangerous.”
A statement on its website reads: “We understand that consumers may have heard about an online ‘challenge’ involving the misuse or abuse of diphenhydramine. The challenge, which involves ingestion of excessive quantities of diphenhydramine, is a dangerous trend and should be stopped immediately.
“We are working with TikTok and other social platforms to remove content that showcases this behaviour.”
TikTok claimed it blocked searches for the ‘Benadryl Challenge’ and said it had never seen a trend like it.
It said in a statement: “Our deepest sympathies go out to the family. At TikTok, we strictly prohibit and remove content that promotes dangerous behaviour with the safety of our community as a priority.
“We have never seen this type of content trend on our platform and have blocked searches for years to help discourage copycat behaviour.
“Our team of 40,000 safety professionals works to remove violations of our Community Guidelines and we encourage our community to report any content or accounts they’re concerned about.”
