Granville County Sheriff warns kids, parents about deadly TikTok challenge

After one teenager in Granville County tried the 'Benadryl Challenge' for fun, Sheriff Robert Fountain Jr. wants to make sure the community knows about the dangers.
Posted 10/2/2025, 9:58:14 PM Updated 10/2/2025, 10:00:06 PM

TO DO A SAFETY REVIEW OF

MIFEPRISTONE.

>> THE LOCAL SHERIFF HAS A

WARNING NOW FOR PARENTS ABOUT A

VIRAL TIKTOK VIDEO ENCOURAGING

USERS TO ESSENTIALLY OVERDOSE

ON OVER-THE-COUNTER

MEDICATIONS. AS WITH MANY OF

THESE VIRAL SOCIAL MEDIA,

QUOTE, CHALLENGES IT'S

DANGEROUS IN THIS ONE CAN BE

DEADLY. WRAL'S. KIRSTEN CLARK

JOINING US LIVE WITH A WARNING

NOW FROM THE GRANVILLE COUNTY

SHERIFF KIRSTEN.

>> YET THIS YEAR DESCRIBED THE

VIRAL AND DANGEROUS AND

BENADRYL CHALLENGE. NOW HE'S

ENCOURAGING KIDS TO CONSIDER

THE RISKS AFTER ONE TEAM HERE

IN GRANVILLE COUNTY TRIED IT

FOR FUN.

>> DOCTORS RECOMMEND TAKING

ONE TO 2 BENADRYL TABLETS EVERY

4 TO 6 HOURS TO RELIEVE ALLERGY

SYMPTOMS. THAT'S WELL BELOW

THE AMOUNT TEAMS ARE ENCOURAGED

TO TAKE IN THE NAME OF A FUN

TIKTOK CHALLENGE. GRANVILLE

COUNTY SHERIFF ROBERT BOWDEN

JUNIOR SAYS A LOCAL MOTHER

CALLED 9-1-1 AFTER LEARNING

HER SON TOOK PART. HE'S OK.

>> BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE

THAT THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT

THESE KIDS NEED TO START

LOOKING AT WHAT. THE END

RESULT. IT IT'S OKAY TO BE

COOL. BUT THEN YOUR PARENTS ARE

GOING TO SUFFER IF THEY LOSE

IN TWENTY-TWENTY. WRAL REPORTED

THAT A 15 YEAR-OLD GIRL IN

OKLAHOMA DIED AFTER PARTAKING

IN A SIMILAR CHALLENGE. SEVERAL

OTHER TEENS HAVE BEEN

HOSPITALIZED TO START MAYBE

JUST BY FEELING HIGH AND

HALLUCINATING POTENTIALLY AND

FEELING A BIT OUT OF IT.

>> AND THEN VERY QUICKLY, YOU

CROSS INTO PARTNER, YOU COULD

HAVE SEIZURES.

>> DANGEROUS HER HERE WITH ME

IS THAT CAN LEAD TO DEATH.

DR. EMILY GREENWALD IS A

PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE

SPECIALIST AT DUKE. WHAT IS

YOUR MESSAGE? NUMBER ONE FOR

TEENS THAT ARE ON TIKTOK ON

SOCIAL MEDIA AND SEEING THESE

CHALLENGES AND WANTING TO, YOU

KNOW, GET INVOLVED, THINK TWICE

BEFORE YOU DO IT. TALK TO YOUR

PARENTS. TALK TO SOMEONE YOU

TRUST ABOUT.

>> IS THIS REALLY A GOOD IDEA?

SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT YOUR

FRIEND. THE SAME PEOPLE TO TRY

TO GET YOUR CHILD TO BE THE

SAME ONES LAUGHING AT YOU WHEN

YOU'RE NOT WITH THEM.

>> AND IT'S FUNNY UNTIL IT'S

NOT.

>> THE SHERIFF TELLS US THAT

THE INCIDENT INVOLVING THE TEEN

AND THAT CHALLENGE WAS

ISOLATED. LIVE IN GRANVILLE