TikTok claimed it blocked searches for the ‘Benadryl Challenge’ and said it had never seen a ‘content trend’ like it after a 13-year-old Ohio boy died as a result of popping 14 tablets.
Jacob Stevens, 13, of Columbus, is the latest victim to die from the Benadryl Challenge on TikTok. The young teen was filmed by his friends downing an alarming number of the anti-allergy pills. He suffered near-immediate seizures, fell into a coma and was put on a ventilator for six days before dying.
The popular social media platform – which recently sat in the hot seat before Congress – has been made aware of the teen’s death and told DailyMail.com in a statement: ‘Our deepest sympathies go out to the family.
‘We have never seen this type of content trend on our platform and have blocked searches for years to help discourage copycat behavior,’ a TikTok spokesperson told DailyMail.com on Thursday.
The Chinese platform said it is a ‘priority’ to ‘strictly prohibit and remove content that promotes dangerous behavior’ and has a team of ‘40,000 safety professionals’ actively working to remove any concerning content, the spokesperson said.
TikTok has removed 96 percent of videos of the challenge – which predates the creation of TikTok. More than 70 percent of those videos had no views. In addition, more than 80 percent were removed within 24 hours.
Jacob Stevens, 13, of Columbus, (pictured on a ventilator) is the latest victim to die from the Benadryl Challenge on TikTok
The young teen was filmed by his friends downing an alarming number of the allergy pill and his body immediately began to seize and he had to be put on a ventilator for six days before he died
The Benadryl Challenge encourages participants to down a dozen or more antihistamines – equivalent to a dose six times larger than recommended – to induce hallucinations.
The deadly stunt’s virality has caused several professionals to take to the app to warn youngsters away from the challenge.
Dr. Jen Caudle, of Philadelphia, said: ‘Folks are trying to catch this on social media, trying to film it, it’s a social media challenge. It is a death trap, if you ask me.
‘The latest tragedy is an example of this,’ she continued. ‘This is a warning to parents for kids, for people out there, do not try this.’
Caudle warned other side effects of taking too much Benadryl or other antihistamines can be heart problems, seizures, as well as, death.
‘Only take medications as prescribed,’ she warned. ‘Parents, make sure you lock up medications, over-the-counter medications, and make sure they are not easily accessible.
‘Please be aware of this and do not ever attempt any challenge, such as this.’
Jacob’s father, Justin Stevens, reiterated this, saying: ‘Keep an eye at what they’re doing on that phone. Talk to them about the situation. I want everyone to know about my son.’
Jacob was rushed to the hospital as his body began to shut down, and his family decided to take him off of life-support six days later after his brain functions ceased.
‘It was too much for his body,’ Justin said.
The teen was placed on a ventilator and lay in the hospital for six days before doctors found his brain was no longer responsive.
‘No brain scan, there was nothing there,’ Justin said. ‘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.’
He said it was the ‘worst day of his life’ when doctors told him about his son’s terminal condition.
Justin recalled Jacob as being a caring kid who could brighten any day.
‘It didn’t matter how bad of a day I was having, no one could make me smile, Jacob could make me smile,’ Justin recalled through tears.
The Chinese platform said it has ‘never seen this type of content trend on our platform and have blocked searches for years to help discourage copycat behavior’
Justin and his family have dedicated themselves to making sure such a tragedy never happens again.
‘I’m going to do anything I can to make sure another child doesn’t go through it,’ Jacob’s grandmother, Dianna, said.
The family has begun pushing lawmakers to take steps to prevent other kids from partaking in such a challenge by putting age restrictions on over-the-counter drugs like Benadryl.
They also want to see TikTok impose an age restriction for making accounts, forcing users to provide identification before being allowed onto the platform.
Jacob was not the first to die from the challenge.
In 2020 a 15-year-old Oklahoma girl died after overdosing on the pills.
Responding to the challenge, the Food and Drug Administration issued a statement warning of the dangers of participating.
‘Taking higher than recommended doses of the common over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medicine diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can lead to serious heart problems, seizures, coma or even death,’ the FDA wrote.
Chloe Marie Phillips, 15, of Blanchard, Oklahoma, died in the early morning hours of August 21, 2020, after she overdosed on Benadryl
‘We are aware of news reports of teenagers ending up in emergency rooms or dying after participating in the ‘Benadryl Challenge’ encouraged in videos posted on the social media application TikTok.’
Johnson & Johnson, who manufacture Benadryl, also issued a warning about the ‘extremely concerning’ and ‘dangerous’ trend.
The pharmaceutical company said the trend should be ‘stopped immediately.’
‘Large amounts of Benadryl can cause seizures and, particularly, problems with the heart. The heart tends to go out of rhythm and not pump blood effectively,’ Scott Schaeffer, director of the Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information, said.
The CDC found in between 2019 and 2020 that 15 percent of overdoses were due to antihistamines, like Benadryl. Most antihistamines-involved overdoses contain diphenhydramine, which is the main ingredient in Benadryl.
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