TikTok claimed it was blocking searches for the “Benadryl Challenge,” saying it had never seen such a “content trend” after a 13-year-old boy from Ohio died as a result of dropping 14 tablets.
Jacob Stevens, 13, from Columbus, is the latest victim to die from the Benadryl Challenge on TikTok. The young teen was filmed by his friends taking an alarming number of anti-allergy pills. He had almost instantaneous seizures, went into a coma and was placed 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, telling DailyMail.com in a statement: “Our deepest condolences go out to the family.
“We’ve never seen content trends like this on our platform and have been blocking searches for years to discourage copycat behavior,” a TikTok spokesperson told DailyMail.com on Thursday.
The Chinese platform said it is a “priority” to “strictly ban and remove content that encourages dangerous behavior” and has a team of “40,000 security professionals” actively working to remove all affected content, the spokesperson said.
TikTok has removed 96 percent of the challenge’s videos — which predates TikTok’s creation. More than 70 percent of those videos had no views. In addition, more than 80 percent were removed within 24 hours.
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Jacob Stevens, 13, from 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 taking an alarming amount of the allergy pill and his body immediately began to seize up and he had to be put on a ventilator for six days before he died
The Benadryl Challenge encourages participants to take a dozen or more antihistamines — equivalent to a dose six times higher than recommended — to induce hallucinations.
The virality of the deadly stunt has led several professionals to use the app to warn young people about the challenge.
Dr. Jen Caudle of Philadelphia said, ‘People are trying to catch this on social media, trying to film it, it’s a social media challenge. It’s a death trap, if you ask me.
“The latest tragedy is an example of that,” she continued. “This is a warning to parents to children, to people out there, don’t try this.”
Caudle cautioned that other side effects of taking too much Benadryl or other antihistamines can include heart problems, seizures and even death.
“Only take medicines as prescribed,” she warned. “Parents, make sure you keep medications, over-the-counter medications under lock and key and that they are not easily accessible.
“Keep this in mind and never attempt a challenge like this.”
Jacob’s father, Justin Stevens, echoed this, saying, “Keep an eye on 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 hospital when his body broke down and his family decided to take him off a ventilator six days later, after his brain function failed.
“It was too much for his body,” Justin said.
The teen was put on a ventilator and spent six days in hospital before doctors discovered his brain had stopped responding.
“No brain scan, there was nothing,” Justin said. “They said we could hold him in the air, that he could lay there—but he’ll 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 remembered Jacob as a caring boy who could brighten up any day.
“No matter how bad I was having a day, no one could make me laugh, Jacob could make me laugh,” Justin recalls with tears in his eyes.
The Chinese platform said it “has never seen content trends like this on our platform and has been blocking searches for years to discourage copycat behavior.”
Justin and his family are committed to ensuring that such a tragedy never happens again.
“I’m going to do everything I can to make sure another child doesn’t go through this,” said Dianna, Jacob’s grandmother.
The family has begun pushing lawmakers to take steps to prevent other children from participating in such a challenge by placing age restrictions on over-the-counter drugs like Benadryl.
They also want TikTok to impose an age restriction on account creation, forcing users to identify themselves before being allowed on the platform.
Jacob was not the first to die from the challenge.
In 2020, a 15-year-old Oklahoma girl died after overdosing on pills.
In response 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 overdosing on Benadryl
“We are aware of news reports of teens ending up in the emergency room or dying after participating in the ‘Benadryl Challenge’, encouraged in videos posted on the social media application TikTok.”
Johnson & Johnson, manufacturer of Benadryl, also warned of the “extremely worrying” and “dangerous” trend.
The pharmaceutical company said the trend should be “stopped immediately.”
“Large amounts of Benadryl can cause epileptic seizures and especially heart problems. The heart tends to get out of rhythm and not pump blood effectively,” said Scott Schaeffer, director of the Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information.
The CDC found between 2019 and 2020 that 15 percent of overdoses were due to antihistamines, such as Benadryl. Most antihistamine overdoses contain diphenhydramine, the main ingredient in Benadryl.