#Johnson & Johnson issues warning after teen’s ‘Benadryl challenge’ death

Johnson and Johnson issued a PSA about the potentially deadly stunt

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson is warning parents of the perils of TikTok’s viral Benadryl challenge after several teens overdosed while performing the stunt.

“The Benadryl TikTok trend is extremely concerning, dangerous and should be stopped immediately,” the antihistamine’s manufacturer told TooFab Monday about the foolhardy feat.

The challenge, which involves taking enough Benadryl to hallucinate and posting the footage on the video-sharing platform, was blamed for the death of a 15-year-old Oklahoma girl last month, reports local news station KFOR. According to the report, the faith-driven teen was happy and “not one to experiment with drugs.”

The harebrained experiment also resulted in the hospitalizations of at least three young people in Fort Worth, Texas, in May, KFOR reports.

Unfortunately, the dozen or so doses required to induce hallucination can also “cause something potentially life-threatening,” according to Scott Schaeffer, director of the Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information.

“Large amounts of Benadryl can cause seizures and, particularly, problems with the heart. The heart tends to go out of rhythm and not pump blood effectively,” he added.

Fortunately, educators are helping parents raise awareness about the dangers of these impromptu psychedelic sessions, according to Schaeffer.

In addition, Johnson & Johnson claims it’s working with TikTok to implement “the removal of content across social platforms that showcase this behavior.”

TikTok has become a hotbed of hazardous challenges. Among the most recent were the highly-flammable penny fad and the “skull-breaker” challenge, which has been deemed deadly by doctors.