Child dies after taking TikTok Benadryl challenge

An Ohio 13-year-old has died after taking a large dose of Benadryl as part of a dangerous trend on TikTok.

According to a GoFundMe from the family, Jacob Stevens died April 12 after participating in the Benadryl Challenge on TikTok. He was placed on a ventilator for almost a week before he died.

The challenge instructs users to consume large amounts of Benadryl and record themselves “tripping” or hallucinating.

Benadryl is an antihistamine used to treat upper respiratory allergies and is safe to consume when used as recommended, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

TikTok condemned the challenge and emphasized its commitment to eliminating dangerous content on the app.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the family. At TikTok, we strictly prohibit and remove content that promotes dangerous behavior, 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 behavior,” the company said in a statement.

Benadryl manufacturer Johnson & Johnson called the challenge extremely dangerous and hoped the videos will be removed soon.

“We are working with TikTok and other social platforms to remove content that showcases this behavior. We will look to partner across industry and with key stakeholders to address this dangerous behavior,” the company said in a statement.

The FDA issued a warning about the challenge in 2020 and detailed what can happen if someone takes more than the recommended amount of Benadryl.

“Taking higher than recommended doses of the common over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medicine diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can lead to serious heart problems, seizures, coma or even death,” the agency said in a statement. “We are aware of news reports of teenagers ending up in emergency rooms or dying after participating in the Benadryl Challenge encouraged in videos posted on the social media application TikTok.”