America’s Poison Centers have issued an urgent health advisory regarding a sharp rise in diphenhydramine abuse among teenagers. The national organization, representing 53 centers, reports that cases involving the active ingredient in Benadryl and ZzzQuil surged 32% between 2024 and 2025.
Data indicates this is largely intentional recreational misuse rather than accidental overdose. Intentional abuse accounted for 13% of diphenhydramine cases in early 2026, nearly double the rate seen in 2020. The first five months of 2026 alone recorded over 6,000 teen exposures, more than doubling the prior year's figures.
Medical experts warn that high doses of diphenhydramine can cause severe cardiac and neurological damage. Symptoms of poisoning include hallucinations, seizures, dangerous heart rhythms, and loss of consciousness. Health officials attribute this dangerous trend directly to viral social media challenges encouraging unsafe consumption.
Benadryl manufacturer Kenvue stated it is actively collaborating with social media platforms to remove harmful content promoting misuse. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association emphasized that over-the-counter medicines should never be used recreationally and urged parents to secure medications and discuss these specific digital risks with their children.