Editorial illustration for Benadryl Poison Reports Surge by 29% from 2020 to 2023, Study Reveals
Benadryl Poison Cases Rise 29% Among Young Americans
Benadryl poison reports rise from 4,618 in 2020 to 5,960 in 2023
Poison centers logged 1,342 more Benadryl cases in 2023 than in 2020. That's not a minor spike. It's a wave of emergency calls, a direct measure of a desperate and dangerous trend among young people turning a shelf-stable antihistamine into an escape hatch.
In 2020, there were 4,618 cases reported to US Poison Centers for Benadryl usage; that number climbed to 5,960 in 2023, according to a study published in Pediatrics Open Science in August. Benadryl and deliriants in general have embedded themselves as staples on the fringes of the American youth--a cheap and easy way to get fucked up. WIRED reached out to Benadryl manufacturer Kenvue for comment. A spokesperson for the company stated, "This behavior is extremely concerning and dangerous," and encouraged consumers to "carefully read and follow the instructions on the label and contact their health care professional should they have questions." John started taking Benadryl recreationally in November 2024, when he was 20, after using it to sleep and then hearing about the potential to trip online.
Kenvue’s warning is medically flawless. It’s also culturally inert, clashing with a relentless online engine of dosage guides and trip reports. The chemistry is brutal: diphenhydramine overloads the system, risking seizures, cardiac arrest, coma.
These aren’t highs. They are poisonings, plain and simple, documented in thousands of case files. We count the bodies in crisis.
We are far less equipped to tally the profound disaffection that drives them toward those little pink pills in the first place.
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Common Questions Answered
How much did Benadryl poison reports increase between 2020 and 2023?
Benadryl poison reports surged by 29%, rising from 4,618 cases in 2020 to 5,960 cases in 2023. This significant increase was documented in a study published in Pediatrics Open Science in August.
Why are teenagers reportedly misusing Benadryl?
Teenagers appear to be using Benadryl as a cheap and easy way to experience a dangerous high or altered state of consciousness. The trend suggests a concerning pattern of risk-taking behavior among young Americans seeking chemical experimentation.
What was Kenvue's response to the increasing Benadryl poison reports?
Kenvue, the manufacturer of Benadryl, acknowledged the dangerous behavior as 'extremely concerning and dangerous' through a company spokesperson. The statement indicates the company's serious concern about the misuse of their over-the-counter medication.
Further Reading
- Social media challenge: Encouraging adolescents to engage in dangerous misuse of over-the-counter antihistamines — EurekAlert!
- Trends in Pediatric Diphenhydramine Cases Reported to US Poison Centers: 2011–2020 — Pediatrics Open Science
- Notes from the Field: Antihistamine Positivity and Involvement in Overdose Deaths — 44 States and the District of Columbia, 2019–2020 — CDC MMWR
