Jonathan Mendelsohn
Jacob Stevens, 13, tragically passed away after participating in the viral “Benadryl Challenge.” The challenge, which has been popular among youths on TikTok, consists of consuming 12 to 14 Benadryl pills, with the goal being to hallucinate. The Ohio teen’s father, Justin, recounted that his son was at home with friends when he took the pills and started to seize up.
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The horrific challenge first gained traction in 2020, and Stevens is not the first teen who died due to the stunt, with a 15-year-old girl from Oklahoma also losing her life while attempting the controversial challenge. Stevens’ friends reportedly captured the boy participating in the challenge on camera.
‘Benadryl Challenge’ Causes the Tragic Death of Ohio Teen
After being hospitalized for six days, Steven died while on a ventilator. Justin Stevens spoke to ABC 6 about his son’s unfortunate death, saying “It was too much for his body. 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.”
Justin described his son’s remarkable character, saying, “It didn’t matter how bad of a day I was having, no one could make me smile, Jacob could make me smile.” The boy’s grandmother also spoke out about the devastating event, saying, “I’m going to do anything I can to make sure another child doesn’t go through it.” Justin added, “Keep an eye at what they’re doing on that phone. Talk to them about the situation. I want everyone to know about my son.”
The Stevens family is adamant about getting lawmakers to put age restrictions on easy-to-purchase medications like Benadryl. Johnson & Johnson released an official statement regarding the matter, saying, “The Benadryl TikTok trend is extremely concerning, dangerous and should be stopped immediately.” Another statement from the Food and Drug Administration read, “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. 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.”
