Idaho Parents You Need To Know About This Deadly TikTok Challenge

Idaho parents be aware of a new TikTok challenge that has already taken the life of a 13-year-old boy from Ohio. The "Benadryl Challenge" has children attempting a potentially taking deadly amount of Benadryl. This isn't the first time there has been a death because of the "Benadryl Challenge," It started in 2020 on TikTok. 

In September 2020, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning saying, "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 came after a 15-year-old Oklahoma girl died in 2022. 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." 

Jacob Stevens, the 13-year-old boy who died earlier this month, his father, Justin, is seeking out lawmakers to put age restrictions on over-the-counter pharmaceuticals like Benadryl. 

This isn't the first TikTok challenge that has taken the lives of young children and teenagers. In late 2022 the "Blackout Challenge" made headlines for the number of children who had died. According to Bloomberg, "the 'blackout challenge' has been linked to the deaths of that least 15 kids age 12 and younger," and "at least five children aged 13 and 14 also died." 

In March, TikTok said, "Today we're announcing new features for teens, families, and our broader community. 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.