Another blow to the image of the social network TikTok. In question, a challenge on the platform, the Benadryl challengefrom the name of a drug once morest allergies and insomnia sold in the United States and Canada.
The goal? Swallow a maximum of these pills, because consumed in large numbers, they would cause hallucinogenic side effects.
However, two american teenagersone 13 and the other 15, died following trying this challenge, following overdoses. Indeed, the initial dosage is one pill every six hours at least, and to achieve the effects sought by the “challengers”, it is necessary to swallow at least ten at once.
The Food and Drug Administration, the American equivalent of our National Agency for the Safety of Medicines, has also warned of the risks of “serious heart problems, seizures, coma or even death”, in the event of excess diphenhydramine. , the chemical found in Benadryl.
TikTok has removed access to the hashtag
Faced with these dramatic events, TikTok had to react. Thus, now, when you type “Benadryl”, or “Benadryl Challenge” in the search bar of the social network, you come across a message indicating that “some online challenges can be dangerous“and that it is necessary to learn”to recognize them to protect [notre] health“.
He is no longer able to access videos through a search, but some already work around the problem with other names of the challenge.
A multiplication of dangerous challenges
This challenge is far from being the only one to be risky for the health of platform users. In recent weeks, the so-called “scar” challenges, the “Hot Chip Challenge”, or even the “Choking Challenge” have revealed their dangerousness, and especially the lack of moderation on the social network.