04-21-2023, 11:28 AM
![[Image: KHZd4MS.png]](https://i.imgur.com/KHZd4MS.png)
13-Year-Old Boy Dead After TikTok ‘Benadryl Challenge,’
Grieving Dad Warns Other Parents
April 17, 2023
![[Image: vmBbxrP.png]](https://i.imgur.com/vmBbxrP.png)
TikTok has fallen under criticism for allowing dangerous “challenges” to be posted
and go viral on the platform. The extensive list of dangerous challenges has reportedly
contributed to dozens of deaths and individuals suffering severe medical emergencies
in the last two years.
The most recent so-called “Benadryl Challenge” has led to the
death of 13-year-old Jacob Stevens.
A partial list of TikTok Darwin-Award-type challenges includes:
Thirteen-year-old Jacob Stevens participation in the TikTok Benadryl Challenge cost
him his life. The challenge involves taking 12 to 14 of the antihistamines, six times
the recommended dosage. Reportedly, the high dosage induces hallucinations.
Jacob’s father Justin told ABC 6 that his son was with friends when he overdosed.
Video taken by his friends shows the Ohio teen swallowing the pills and
soon after having seizures.
“It was too much for his body,” the devastated father said.
Family members rushed Jacob to a hospital where he was put on a ventilator.
However, Jacob died six days later.
The despondent father referred to the day his son died as the “worst day of his life.”
Justin noted that medical staff told him early on there was no brain activity and that they
“could keep him on the vent, that he could lay there — but he [would] never open his
eyes … breathe, smile, walk or talk.”
Justin recalled that his son was a good boy: “It didn’t matter how bad of a day I was having,
[when] no one could make me smile, Jacob could make me smile,” he said.
A teary Dianna Stevens, Jacob’s grandmother, told a local news outlet: “I’m going to do
anything I can to make sure another child doesn’t go through it.”
Justin agreed and said that parents should “Keep an eye on what [your kids are] doing. …
Talk to them about [our] situation. I want everyone to know about my son.”
Justin is now urging lawmakers to put age restrictions on over-the-counter pharmaceuticals
like Benadryl — a campaign he describes as his “life goal.” He also wants social media platforms
like TikTok to impose safeguards.
The New York Post noted that Jacob is not the first victim of the Benadryl Challenge.
In August 2020, a 15-year-old girl died during a similar incident.
![[Image: zn5xXOK.png]](https://i.imgur.com/zn5xXOK.png)
Following reports of drug misuse, manufacturer Johnson & Johnson issued a public advisory warning:
“The Benadryl TikTok trend is extremely concerning, dangerous and should be stopped immediately.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also released a public service warning: “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 warning continued: “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. Health care professionals should be aware that the ‘Benadryl Challenge’
is occurring among teens and alert their caregivers about it.”
Cormac Keenan, TikTok’s Director of Trust and Safety, said in a statement:
TikTok recently announced a new 60-minute time restriction for users under 18 years of age.
A passcode will be required to extend viewing time, and parental or guardian permission will
be required to extend viewing time for those younger than 13-years-old.
Grieving Dad Warns Other Parents
April 17, 2023
TikTok has fallen under criticism for allowing dangerous “challenges” to be posted
and go viral on the platform. The extensive list of dangerous challenges has reportedly
contributed to dozens of deaths and individuals suffering severe medical emergencies
in the last two years.
The most recent so-called “Benadryl Challenge” has led to the
death of 13-year-old Jacob Stevens.
A partial list of TikTok Darwin-Award-type challenges includes:
- The skull breaker challenge.
- Throw it in the air and let it land on your head challenge.
- The put a penny in an outlet challenge.
- The cha cha make your car swerve erratically challenge.
- The use another person’s mouth as a cereal bowl challenge.
- The put Burt Bees menthol lip balm on your eyelids challenge.
- The restrict your airway and pass out challenge.
Thirteen-year-old Jacob Stevens participation in the TikTok Benadryl Challenge cost
him his life. The challenge involves taking 12 to 14 of the antihistamines, six times
the recommended dosage. Reportedly, the high dosage induces hallucinations.
Jacob’s father Justin told ABC 6 that his son was with friends when he overdosed.
Video taken by his friends shows the Ohio teen swallowing the pills and
soon after having seizures.
“It was too much for his body,” the devastated father said.
Family members rushed Jacob to a hospital where he was put on a ventilator.
However, Jacob died six days later.
The despondent father referred to the day his son died as the “worst day of his life.”
Justin noted that medical staff told him early on there was no brain activity and that they
“could keep him on the vent, that he could lay there — but he [would] never open his
eyes … breathe, smile, walk or talk.”
Justin recalled that his son was a good boy: “It didn’t matter how bad of a day I was having,
[when] no one could make me smile, Jacob could make me smile,” he said.
A teary Dianna Stevens, Jacob’s grandmother, told a local news outlet: “I’m going to do
anything I can to make sure another child doesn’t go through it.”
Justin agreed and said that parents should “Keep an eye on what [your kids are] doing. …
Talk to them about [our] situation. I want everyone to know about my son.”
Justin is now urging lawmakers to put age restrictions on over-the-counter pharmaceuticals
like Benadryl — a campaign he describes as his “life goal.” He also wants social media platforms
like TikTok to impose safeguards.
The New York Post noted that Jacob is not the first victim of the Benadryl Challenge.
In August 2020, a 15-year-old girl died during a similar incident.
Following reports of drug misuse, manufacturer Johnson & Johnson issued a public advisory warning:
“The Benadryl TikTok trend is extremely concerning, dangerous and should be stopped immediately.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also released a public service warning: “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 warning continued: “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. Health care professionals should be aware that the ‘Benadryl Challenge’
is occurring among teens and alert their caregivers about it.”
Cormac Keenan, TikTok’s Director of Trust and Safety, said in a statement:
Quote:“We believe digital experiences should bring joy
and play a positive role in how people express
themselves, discover ideas, and connect. We’re
improving our screen time tool with more custom
options, introducing new default settings for teen
accounts, and expanding Family Pairing with
more parental controls.”
TikTok recently announced a new 60-minute time restriction for users under 18 years of age.
A passcode will be required to extend viewing time, and parental or guardian permission will
be required to extend viewing time for those younger than 13-years-old.
Semper Fidelis
![[Image: SyAa0qj.png]](https://i.imgur.com/SyAa0qj.png)
USMC
USMC
Nemo me impune lacessit