The latest dangerous trend TikTok is the “Benadryl Challenge.” The medical community is strongly urging parents to take whatever steps necessary to protect their children from this possible fatal trend.
Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City says, “the bottom line is that engaging in such a challenge is inherently dangerous and can be fatal!” Dr. Glatter also suggests parents monitor their teens’ social media activity.
The game involves TikTok users, mostly teenagers, encouraging each other to take as much over-the-counter allergy medication as needed to hallucinate. The challenge has led to the death of a 15-year-old Oklahoma teenager last week and the hospitalizations of at least three Texas teenagers in May.
Benadryl is a brand name of the antihistamine drug diphenhydramine manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, and the company said in a statement about the TikTok challenge, “The health and safety of people who use our products is our top priority. The BENADRYL TikTok trend is extremely concerning, dangerous and should be stopped immediately. As with any medicine, abuse or misuse can lead to serious side effects with potentially long-lasting consequences, and BENADRYL® products should only be used as directed by the label. It is our strong recommendation that all medications be kept out of the reach of children at all times. We are working with TikTok and our partners to do what we can to stop this dangerous trend, including the removal of content across social platforms that showcase this behavior.”
Dr. Stokes Peebles, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University said, “the challenge is not only dangerous but also based on a false premise. It causes sedation. It doesn’t cause a high, so that’s a fallacy right off the bat.”
