A 13-year-old boy in Ohio d!ed after “taking a bunch of Benadryl” while attempting a dangerous TikTok challenge that was spreading online.
According to the family contribution account, Jacob Stevens took the antihistamine as part of a TikTok challenge he was doing at home with his pals. According to WSYX, Jacob was on a ventilator for over a week before passing.
We have not confirmed the details of his death independently.
TikTok’s “Benadryl Challenge” has been linked to “serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death,” according to a warning from the US Food and Drug Administration issued in 2020.
Jacob’s grandma told us that she was doing all in her power “to make sure another child doesn’t go through” with the struggle.
TikTok said, “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 content trend on our platform and have blocked searches for years to help discourage copycat behavior. 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.”
Johnson & Johnson, the company responsible for producing Benadryl, described the threat as “dangerous.”
“We understand that consumers may have heard about an online “challenge” involving the misuse or abuse of diphenhydramine,” online statement reads.
“The challenge, which involves ingestion of excessive quantities of diphenhydramine, is a dangerous trend and should be stopped immediately. BENADRYL® products and other diphenhydramine products should only be used as directed by the label.”
“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.”
Many of the major stories on the TikTok ban have been covered by us. If you want to know more, you should read these articles:
- Lawmakers Vote to Ban TikTok in Montana: What Does It Mean for Social Media?
- Montana Close to Becoming 1st State to Completely Ban TikTok
- Is Tiktok Getting Banned in the U.S. 2023? What the Real Reason?
According to the FDA’s 2020 warning, the agency “contacted TikTok and strongly urged them to remove the videos from their platform and to be vigilant to remove additional videos that may be posted.”
Benadryl is an antihistamine used to treat symptoms such as a runny nose or sneezing from upper respiratory allergies, hay fever or the common cold. It’s safe and effective when used as recommended, the FDA said.
Oli London posted a message about this big news on his official Twitter page on April 18 in the form of a tweet. You can read the whole thing down below-
A 13 year old boy from Ohio has died after participating in a dangerous trend on TikTok.
The “Benadryl Challenge” sees teens take 12-14 tablets a day while documenting the effects for TikTok videos.
The boy, Jacob Stevens, who was filmed doing the challenge by a group of… pic.twitter.com/aLkzasXSJW
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 18, 2023
“Diphenhydramine is marketed under the brand-name Benadryl, store brands, and generics. It is also available in combination with pain relievers, fever reducers, and decongestants,” the agency said.
