A 13-year-old teenager died of an overdose after taking part in a viral challenge on TikTok. The young man took more than 14 pills of an antiallergic as part of the Benadryl Challenge, which consists of ingesting large amounts of the drug and filming how the body reacts, according to ABC 6. The case took place in Ohio, in the United States.
Jacob Stevens was accompanied by a group of friends, who started recording as soon as the boy took his medicine. As he swallowed the pills, his body began to contract. According to the news site, Stevens was taken to the hospital, where he was admitted for six days, but ended up being declared brain dead by doctors. His family chose to turn off the devices that kept him alive, according to ABC 6.
On social media, the teenager’s father, Justin Stevens, warned of the danger of the challenge, when Jacob was still breathing on machines, posting a photo of the boy in the hospital.
“This is my 13-year-old son who is fighting to stay alive. This is thanks to the Benadryl challenge on TikTok. He and some of his friends thought it would be cool to do this challenge and this is the result. It will take an act of God to get him out of it. So if you have kids or loved ones, share this photo with them in hopes of preventing them from making this huge mistake. Keep fighting, I love you,” he said.
After his death, Jacob’s father told ABC 6 that the attempts to keep Jacob alive were “too much for his body”.
“No cerebral manifestations, there was nothing there. They said we could keep him on ventilation, that he could stay there, but he would never open his eyes, never breathe, smile, walk or talk,” he declared.
Benadryl Challenge
This challenge, which has videos like this on TikTok since 2020, encourages netizens to take high doses of the antiallergic, called Benadryl (from the active ingredient Diphenhydramine). The drug is known to induce hallucinations. Anti-allergy can also cause seizures and heart problems if ingested in large amounts.
After the repercussions, the short video social network started to block the search for the challenge and issue the following warning: “Some online challenges can be dangerous, disturbing or even staged. Learn how to recognize dangerous challenges so you can protect your health and well-being.”
Through posts on Facebook, Jacob’s father raised money for the young man’s funeral and cremation. The family is also looking to get age restrictions on TikTok and also on buying over-the-counter medications, such as anti-allergy.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
