Tragic Death of a 13-Year-Old Boy Attempting ‘Benadryl Challenge’ on TikTok

An Ohio teenager has passed away after overdosing on the drug Benadryl as part of a viral TikTok challenge.

Jacob Stevens, from Greenfield, became brain dead after taking an excessive amount of the antihistamine in an attempt to induce hallucinations for the ‘Benadryl Challenge’. He had spent approximately one week on a ventilator before his unfortunate demise.

While filming the challenge at his home with friends, Jacob began experiencing seizures, as reported by his parents to the local news media ABC 6.

Following the incident, the teenager was rushed to the hospital and put on a ventilator. However, he was taken off when doctors could no longer detect any brain activity.

According to Jacob’s grandmother Dianna Stevens, “No brain scan, there was nothing there. He said we could keep him on the vent, he could lay there like that but he would never open his eyes, he will never breathe on his own.” Jacob passed away on Wednesday, April 12, and his parents describe him as a ‘well-mannered, funny, loving kid’ in an obituary published this week.

Taking more than the recommended dosage of diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, can lead to respiratory failure, irregular heartbeat, cardiac arrest, seizures, and ultimately, death, as stated by the National Institutes of Health.

Despite the serious risks involved, young individuals continue to use the over-the-counter allergy medicine to induce hallucinations, with the ‘Benadryl Challenge’ gaining popularity on TikTok back in 2020.

After a 15-year-old in Oklahoma City passed away following the challenge, Johnson & Johnson, the pharmaceutical company behind Benadryl, labeled it a ‘dangerous trend’ that needs to be ‘stopped immediately’ and has been working with social platforms to remove related content.