Ohio Boy, 13, Dies After Doing TikTok Benadryl Challenge

COLUMBUS, OH — An Ohio teenager died after overdosing on Benadryl while trying to recreate a TikTok challenge, according to a GoFundMe page and a report citing his family.

Jacob Stevens was at home with his friends when he ingested the antihistamine, according to the family's GoFundMe page. Jacob's father, Justin Stevens, told WSYX in Columbus that Jacob's friends were filming him as he did the challenge.

That's when Jacob started seizing, his family told WSYX.

The teen was on a ventilator for nearly a week before he died.

"They said we could keep him on the vent — that he could lay there, but he will never open his eyes. He'll never breathe, smile, walk or talk," Justin Stevens told the station.

The so-called "Benadryl Challenge," made popular on TikTok, encourages users to ingest large amounts of diphenhydramine — the generic name for Benadryl — to get high and record their body's response.

The challenge resulted in numerous cases of diphenhydramine poisoning, with the first case reported in May 2020.

According to the FDA, Diphenhydramine is used to temporarily relieve symptoms caused by hay fever, allergies, a runny nose, and sneezing. When used as recommended, the medicine is considered safe and effective.

The agency says higher than recommended doses of diphenhydramine can lead to serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death.

The viral challenge prompted the FDA to issue a warning in September 2020 over "serious problems with high doses" of the common over-the-counter allergy medication. In the notice, officials acknowledged that teenagers were hospitalized or dying after participating in the challenge.

After issuing the warning, FDA officials contacted TikTok and urged the company to remove any videos of the challenge from the platform.

FDA officials also urged parents to store diphenhydramine and other over-the-counter and prescription medicines away and out of children's reach and sight. The FDA also recommends parents lock up medicines to prevent accidental poisonings by children and misuse by teens.

Johnson & Johnson, the maker of Benadryl, posted a statement to its website calling the challenge "a dangerous trend" that should be stopped immediately.

"Collaboration and education are critical to putting an end to this dangerous misuse. 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 undated statement says.

Meanwhile, TikTok officials said the platform has blocked searches of the Benadryl Challenge for years to "help discourage copycat behavior," according to a statement obtained by CNN in response to the death of the 13-year-old boy.

"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," TikTok's statement read. "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."

Following Jacob's death, his family warned other parents to "keep an eye" on what kids are doing on their phones, according to WSYX. His father also told the station said he plans to push lawmakers to place an age restriction on Benadryl purchases.

"I already sent a message to (Gov. Mike) Dewine," Justin Stevens said. "It's my life goal now to make that happen. I'll go at it until the day I die."