Defusing the “Benadryl challenge”: Discussing danger with teens

Let’s start with the bottom line: Parents of teens need to help them understand that just because they have been “challenged” to do something doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. But as simple as that sounds to us, it’s tough for many teens to grasp. The latest challenge in the news is the “Benadryl challenge” that appeared on TikTok, a popular social media video platform. The idea was to take a whole lot of Benadryl (diphenhydramine, a common antihistamine) in order to cause a high, with hallucinations. While it’s true that diphenhydramine can make you high and make you hallucinate, when you take too much of it you can also have seizures, pass out, have heart problems, or even die. And indeed, emergency rooms across the country have treated overdoses of diphenhydramine, and at least one death has been attributed to the challenge. Dangerous challenges appeal to teens To TikTok’s credit, they say that they have taken down the videos and are monitoring for any new ones. When I searched the site myself, nothing came up when I searched “Benadryl.” But it’s not like it’s the only challenge out there on social media. We’ve had the cinnamon challenge, the nutmeg challenge, and others like the “Kiki challenge” where people get out of their slow-moving cars and dance alongside them, or the “skull-breaker challenge” which, well, speaks for itself. Getting rid of all challenges is not really possible; it’s a game of whack-a-mole. The reason teen...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Adolescent health Behavioral Health Children's Health Parenting Source Type: blogs