01 May 2023 , 16:39
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A devastated dad has warned others about a TikTok challenge that took the life of his son.
Jacob Stevens from Colombus, Ohio, tragically passed away after he overdosed on over-the-counter medication.
Jacob was left on a ventilator and was in a coma in hospital for six days before he eventually died.
The youngster was at home with his friends when he tried the twisted 'Benadryl challenge'.
The teenager was being filmed by his friends at home when he started to suffer a seizure.
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He spent six days on a ventilator as the amount of medicine he consumed was "too much for his body", according to his dad Justin.
Jacob died after six days in a coma (Justin Stevens/Facebook)
Justin called his son's passing 'the worst day of my life' (Justin Stevens/Facebook)Dad Justin said he and Jacob's mum were faced with the horrific decision of choosing whether to switch his son off life support when doctors detected no brain activity coming from his son.
He told the US Sun: "My son lost his life trying to have a good time with a couple of his friends and really didn't realize what he was doing."
TikTok blocked searches for the challenge with a pop-up that said: "Be informed and aware...some substances can be dangerous when used or misused.
It continued: "Learn more about how drugs, alcohol, and tobacco can affect your mind, body, and behaviour," the site wrote along with a link to their "substance support" page.
Jacob's death was a "freak accident" and he made a "bad decision" to take part, Justin said.
(Justin Stevens/Facebook)Justin now wants age restrictions on both TikTok and over-the-counter medication to try and stop what happened to his son from devastating the lives of other families.
He spoke to Jacob's friends at the funeral and said added: "I just tried to express to them to look out for each other and don't talk your friends into doing stuff like that. Talk them out of it."
The Chinese social media giant offered "sympathies" to the heartbroken family last month.
Jacob was a caring kid who could brighten any day, his family said"Our deepest sympathies go out to the family. At TikTok, we strictly prohibit and remove content that promotes dangerous behaviour with the safety of our community as a priority.
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"We have never seen this type of content trend on our platform and have blocked searches for years to help discourage copycat behaviour."
The dangerous Benadryl challenge did not start on TikTok, but has seen users try it out since 2020.
Justin continued: "You're looking for a fun or a good time in the beginning, but, well, the outcome's not always fun and games."
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning that year when the challenge came to light.
It could lead to "serious heart problems, seizures, coma, or even death", the administration said.
A girl in Oklahoma was just 15 when she died trying the challenge in 2020 and three teens were hospitalised in Texas in the same year.