"BENADRYL CHALLENGE"
Two Teenage Girls Overdose in Dangerous ‘Benadryl Challenge’ at Sleepover
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Two teenage girls overdosed after taking part in the so-called “Benadryl Challenge,” a dangerous social media trend, authorities say.
The Bowling Green Police Department responded Monday to a home where a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old had reportedly overdosed on the over-the-counter medication. A mother, who asked to remain anonymous, discovered the girls’ condition the morning after a sleepover and called 911.
“She was grabbing at things that weren’t there. She was seeing things — she was hallucinating,” the woman told WTVG. “She wasn’t able to really talk at this point; it was all gibberish. Then she started to get really weak and fall backward, and she wasn’t able to stand.”
The “Benadryl Challenge” involves consuming large amounts of the medication to induce hallucinations, a practice that can be life-threatening. Both children were taken to a local hospital, treated, and later released. The mother said she found an empty 48-tablet pack of Benadryl in the trash, noting that one girl had taken 28 pills and the other 20. The recommended dose for anyone over 12 is one tablet every four hours.
A police report indicates that a medic at the scene observed one of the girls deleting photos from her phone showing a hand holding more than 20 pills.
Officials with the Wood County Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Services Board urged parents to talk openly with their children about the dangers of these challenges, secure medications, and properly dispose of unused drugs.
The mother emphasized the need for parents to stay aware of hazardous social media trends and monitor their children’s online activity. She also said the girls had purchased the Benadryl themselves from a Walmart the day before the incident.
#KIDS #DEATH #DRUGS #TIKTOK #TREND #PARENTS
