Metro Atlanta police issue warning over deadly Benadryl trend
FILE: Box of Benadryl allergy medication. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - A metro Atlanta police department is urging parents to talk to their children about the potential dangers of a social media trend known as the "Benadryl Challenge," which has recently been linked to severe injuries and deaths nationwide.
What we know:
The Grantville Police Department, located in Coweta County, posted a warning on its Facebook page alerting families to the hazardous online trend. Authorities say the challenge encourages participants to ingest large amounts of the over-the-counter allergy medication, sometimes as many as 12 tablets, in an attempt to induce hallucinations.
Medical experts and law enforcement warn that exceeding the recommended dosage of the medication can lead to severe health complications. Potential side effects include seizures, heart problems, and in some cases, death.
Recent Tragedies and Nationwide Concerns
The local warning follows a devastating incident involving a 15-year-old girl from Enid, Oklahoma. After attempting the challenge, the teenager suffered severe seizures and was rushed to the hospital. Her family placed her on life support, but she was declared brain-dead on June 14 and later passed away.
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Separately, the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate confirmed that three children died within a two-month span from diphenhydramine overdoses, which is the active ingredient in Benadryl. While state officials noted the deaths occurred as the trend reemerged online, they did not formally confirm a direct connection to the social media challenge.
What they're saying:
According to Noelia Swymeler, a pediatric resident physician at the University of Oklahoma at Tulsa School of Community Medicine, the "Benadryl Challenge" is not new, having first surfaced on the social media platform TikTok in 2020.
In August 2020, another 15-year-old Oklahoma teenager died after participating in the challenge. Earlier that same year, Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, treated three teenagers in a single week after they consumed dozens of Benadryl tablets for the online trend.
A History of Dangerous Digital Trends
Medical experts note that the Benadryl challenge is part of a long-standing pattern of hazardous online trends targeted at adolescents. Similar viral stunts have included the "Cinnamon Challenge" and "Nutmeg Challenge," both of which involved ingesting toxic amounts of household spices, as well as the psychologically manipulative "Blue Whale Challenge."
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What they're saying:
Health officials and police departments across the country advise parents to monitor their children's social media activity, safely store all household medications, and speak with them directly about the life-threatening risks of abusing over-the-counter drugs.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear exactly how many children nationwide have been affected by the resurfacing trend, as health officials note that many diphenhydramine overdoses are not explicitly linked to the social media challenge.
The Source: This report includes information from the Grantville Police Department, the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate and previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports.