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TikTok has responded following the death of a 13-year-old boy in Ohio after trying the “Benadryl challenge.”
Theviral social media trendinvolves TikTok users taking large amounts of Benadryl, an over-the-counter allergy medication, to get high. The Ohio teen, Jacob Stevens, died less than a week after trying the challenge.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE after Jacob’s death, a spokesperson for the social media platform expressed that the company’s “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,” the statement added.
“Our team of 40,000 safety professionals works to remove violations of ourCommunity Guidelinesand we encourage our community to report any content or accounts they’re concerned about.”
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Jacob died on April 12, six days after taking part in the trend, causing the teen to begin seizing and be hospitalized and on a ventilator.
His father, Justin Stevens, spoke out about the challengein a conversation with ABC 6after the incident.
“When he did, it all came at once, and it was too much for his body,” Stevens explained to the outlet, sharing that the challenge was to take 12 to 14 pills of the allergy drug.
“No brain scan, there was nothing there. 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 added.
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The Food and Drug Administration firstwarned about the trendin late 2020.
“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,” anews release from the FDAreads. “We are investigating these reports and conducting a review to determine if additional cases have been reported.”
source: people.com
