An Ohio teen has died after he overdosed on over-the-counter medication while partaking in a viral TikTok "challenge," local news outlet ABC 6 reported.
Jacob Stevens, 13, partook in the “Benadryl Challenge,” where participants take 12 to 14 of the antihistamines in order to induce hallucinations.
The incident was captured on video by Stevens' friends, showing his body start to seize up after he downed the pills.
Stevens was rushed to the hospital and put on a ventilator, but died six days later.
His father is now warning parents about the dangers of children using social media unsupervised.
“Keep an eye at what they’re doing on that phone,” Justin Stevens said. “Talk to them about the situation. I want everyone to know about my son.”
He's also asking lawmakers to put age restrictions on over-the-counter pharmaceuticals like Benadryl.
“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 The Food and Drug administration said in a public service announcement.
