Have you heard of the drug Benadryl? If so have you ever thought of it as a drug that kills? If not read on.
Jacob Stevens, a 13-year-old from United States‘ Ohio lost his life earlier this month while doing TikTok‘s “Benadryl Challenge.” His family revealed he had ingested 12 to 14 pills of the drug while doing a TikTok challenge which apparently led to his death, states a Dailymail report. The boy did this in a bid to experience hallucinations. However, he met his fate after spending almost a week on the ventilator.
The first of such cases was reported in September 2020 when a 15-year-old girl from the US state of Oklahoma met a similar fate after attempting the challenge.
What is the challenge all about?
The “Benadryl Challenge” which started on the social media platform Tiktok encourages its users to take 12-14 pills of the over-the-counter-drug diphenhydramine to experience hallucinations. This drug is found commonly in products like Benadryl and other over-the-counter (OTC) medicines.
However, the drug usage specifies that children in the age group of 6-12 should intake a maximum of only 6 tablets in a period of 24 hours whereas children over 12 years of age can intake a maximum of 12 tablets.
