Social media platforms continue to host viral challenges that have led to hospitalizations and deaths among children and teenagers. Health officials and families report cases tied to trends encouraging ingestion of household substances or self-asphyxiation.

Benadryl Challenge

The Benadryl Challenge, which emerged prominently on TikTok around 2020, encourages participants to ingest large doses of diphenhydramine — the active ingredient in Benadryl — to induce hallucinations. A 2025 study presented in Denver documented a significant rise in diphenhydramine-related adverse events among youth following the trend’s popularity.

Recent cases include three children in Connecticut who died from diphenhydramine overdoses. In June 2026, a 15-year-old in Oklahoma was reported to be brain-dead after a Benadryl challenge overdose, with poison control calls for teen diphenhydramine exposures doubling in early 2026.

Blackout Challenge

The Blackout Challenge involves restricting oxygen (often by choking or holding one’s breath) until loss of consciousness, then recording the effects. It has circulated on TikTok and other platforms for years. Reports link it to at least 15-20 child deaths historically, with additional cases reported in 2025-2026.

Other challenges, such as the NyQuil Chicken Challenge and the One Chip Challenge, have also caused deaths and injuries among children and teenagers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued warnings about the dangers of these challenges, and health organizations continue to issue alerts to parents.

Parents are advised to monitor their children’s social media activity and watch for signs of participation in these challenges, such as empty medication bottles, secretive phone use, and unexplained symptoms.

Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.