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Prevention Action Alliance
Know! To Beware of the Benadryl Challenge
There’s a dangerous new TikTok game that educators and parents should
know about—the Benadryl Challenge. The idea is to take as many Benadryl
tablets as necessary to hallucinate or “trip out,” while of course
capturing it all on one’s cellphone to then share with others. A
15-year-old Oklahoma girl died last month attempting this challenge,
and three more Texas teens ended up in the hospital.
The Benadryl Challenge Can Be Harmful
Benadryl is an over-the-counter medicine used to treat seasonal and
other allergies and is a product many families have on hand for the
occasional bug bite or accidental contact with poison ivy. Because it
is so commonly used and does not call for a prescription, young people
may have a false sense of security when taking it.
In an interview with Forbes, David Juurlink, MD, head of the division
of clinical pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Toronto in
Canada, said that when taken at the proper dosage, Benadryl is mostly
safe, though it tends to cause drowsiness. He warns however not to
underestimate the dangers of this drug when taken inappropriately or at
high doses.
Overdose symptoms in young people and adults include:
Involuntary movements
Blurred vision, dry eyes and dry mouth
Inability to sweat and pass urine
Restlessness and agitation
Nervousness and anxiety
Confusion
Hallucinations
Heart arrhythmia
Trouble breathing
Seizure
Coma
Death
How You Can Help Your Students
What is an educator to do? By reading this tip, you are already taking
a step in the right direction by becoming aware. But you must also be
aware that as this Internet challenge fades out, another is sure to
follow, which is why it is so important to talk with students about the
health and safety risks of this and other online challenges.
Here are some points to keep in mind as you do:
Don’t assume certain students won’t try it: Remember, a teen’s brain is
not fully developed. Impulsivity, peer pressure, and competitive desire
to one-up a peer are all powerful influencers.
State (and restate) the obvious: While taking medicine for the “fun of
it” seems unfathomable to you, make no assumptions when it comes to
your students’ safety. Additionally, make sure they know that even
over-the-counter medications can have powerful and dangerous side
effects.
Prompt critical thinking: Ask your students, “What do you think could
happen if you do this?” In the face of such a challenge, help students
learn to step back for a moment and apply basic logic and reason before
making a decision that could impact his/her health and safety, as well
as their parent’s trust.
Keep it positive: Though it’s tempting to focus solely on the dangerous
consequences, remember that youth are hard-wired to defend against
negative messages or scare tactics. It is important to educate them on
the risk; however, you must also emphasize what they should do, like
resisting peer pressure, making healthy decisions for themselves, and
never encouraging others to put themselves at risk.
You can also urge parents to lock up their medicines, both prescription
and over-the-counter. Benadryl is not a difficult drug for youth to get
their hands on, however, this will eliminate the number one location
young people access medications for recreational use—the family
medicine cabinet.
TikTok has reportedly removed all content relating to the Benadryl
Challenge. But, it would be naive however to think that is where it
ends, or to think we will ever keep up with all the latest Internet
trends, dangerous or not. What we can do is talk to young people and
teach them to think logically and critically before the next risky
challenge presents itself.
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