CNN
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A 13-year-old in Ohio has died after “he took a lot of Benadryl,” trying a harmful TikTok difficulty that’s circulating online, according to a CNN affiliate and a GoFundMe account from his family.
Jacob Stevens was participating in a TikTok obstacle with some close friends in your home when he consumed the antihistamine, the family contribution account states. Jacob was on a ventilator for virtually a week before he passed away, according to WSYX.
CNN has not separately confirmed his cause of death.
Overdosing on Benadryl can result in “major heart problems, seizures, coma, or perhaps fatality,” the US FDA claimed in a 2020 warning to the general public regarding the lethal “Benadryl Obstacle” on TikTok.
CNN takes control of a 14-year-old’s TikTok account. 17 mins in, this is what we saw.
Jacob’s grandmother is doing anything she can “to ensure one more kid doesn’t undergo” with the obstacle, she told CNN associate WSYX.
In a declaration to CNN, TikTok said, “Our inmost sympathies head out to the household. At TikTok, we strictly restrict and also remove content that promotes dangerous actions with the safety of our area as a concern. We have actually never seen this sort of material trend on our system and also have obstructed look for years to assist prevent copycat habits. Our team of 40,000 security specialists functions to remove infractions of our Area Guidelines and also we urge our area to report any kind of material or accounts they’re worried concerning.”.
The manufacturer of Benadryl, Johnson & Johnson, has called the difficulty “harmful.”.
” We understand that consumers may have read about an online ‘difficulty’ involving the misuse or misuse of diphenhydramine,” the undated online statement checks out.
” The difficulty, which includes intake of excessive quantities of diphenhydramine, is an unsafe fad and also should be quit promptly. BENADRYL ® products and also various other diphenhydramine products need to only be utilized as directed by the tag.”.
” We are working with TikTok as well as other social systems to get rid of web content that showcases this actions,” the statement added. “We will certainly seek to companion across market and with crucial stakeholders to resolve this hazardous habits.”.
CNN has actually connected to the Stevens family members and also Columbus Public Health for comment.
The FDA’s 2020 warning said the firm had “gotten in touch with TikTok and highly advised them to get rid of the videos from their system and also to be cautious to get rid of extra videos that might be published.”.
Benadryl is an antihistamine utilized to treat symptoms such as a dripping nose or sneezing from top respiratory allergic reactions, hay fever or the acute rhinitis. It’s secure and also efficient when used as recommended, the FDA stated.
” Diphenhydramine is marketed under the brand-name Benadryl, shop brand names, and also generics. It is also offered in mix with painkiller, high temperature reducers, as well as decongestants,” the company said.
Customers and parents need to keep Benadryl as well as other over-the-counter medicines as well as prescription medications out of the reach of children, the FDA claimed.
CNN
—
A 13-year-old in Ohio has died after “he took a bunch of Benadryl,” trying a dangerous TikTok challenge that’s circulating online, according to a CNN affiliate and a GoFundMe account from his family.
Jacob Stevens was participating in a TikTok challenge with some friends at home when he ingested the antihistamine, the family donation account states. Jacob was on a ventilator for almost a week before he died, according to WSYX.
CNN has not independently confirmed his cause of death.
Overdosing on Benadryl can result in “serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death,” the US Food and Drug Administration said in a 2020 warning to the public about the deadly “Benadryl Challenge” on TikTok.
CNN takes over a 14-year-old’s TikTok account. 17 minutes in, this is what we saw
Jacob’s grandmother is doing anything she can “to make sure another child doesn’t go through” with the challenge, she told CNN affiliate WSYX.
In a statement to CNN, TikTok said, “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. 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.”
The maker of Benadryl, Johnson & Johnson, has called the challenge “dangerous.”
“We understand that consumers may have heard about an online ‘challenge’ involving the misuse or abuse of diphenhydramine,” the undated online statement reads.
“The challenge, which involves ingestion of excessive quantities of diphenhydramine, is a dangerous trend and should be stopped immediately. BENADRYL® products and other diphenhydramine products should only be used as directed by the label.”
“We are working with TikTok and other social platforms to remove content that showcases this behavior,” the statement added. “We will look to partner across industry and with key stakeholders to address this dangerous behavior.”
CNN has reached out to the Stevens family and Columbus Public Health for comment.
The FDA’s 2020 warning said the agency had “contacted TikTok and strongly urged them to remove the videos from their platform and to be vigilant to remove additional videos that may be posted.”
Benadryl is an antihistamine used to treat symptoms such as a runny nose or sneezing from upper respiratory allergies, hay fever or the common cold. It’s safe and effective when used as recommended, the FDA said.
“Diphenhydramine is marketed under the brand-name Benadryl, store brands, and generics. It is also available in combination with pain relievers, fever reducers, and decongestants,” the agency said.
Consumers and parents should store Benadryl and other over-the-counter medications and prescription medicines out of the reach of children, the FDA said.
