Indianapolis (WXIN) – The FDA is urging parents to talk to their children about the dangers of drug abuse amid recent social media trends involving medicine.
In a recent trend, the FDA said people are encouraged to cook chicken in NyQuil or another over-the-counter cough and cold medicine, possibly for eating. Although the challenge may seem silly and unappetizing, it can also be very dangerous.
The FDA said that boiling a drug can make it much more concentrated and change its properties in other ways. Even if you don’t eat the chicken, inhaling the fumes while cooking can cause high levels of the drugs to enter your body and possibly injure your lungs.
Another medical-related TikTok challenge turns deadly. In the challenge, people were encouraged to take large doses of diphenhydramine to try to induce hallucinations. This drug is sold in many products, including some under the brand name Benadryl.
The challenge was blamed for the hospitalization of at least three Texas teenagers in May 2020, along with the death of a 15-year-old Oklahoma girl in August 2020.
The FDA urges parents to keep over-the-counter and prescription drugs away from children and locked up to prevent accidental overdose. They also need to sit down with their children to discuss the dangers of drug abuse and how social media trends can lead to real, sometimes irreversible damage.
If you think your child has taken too much medicine and is hallucinating, can’t be woken up, has had or is having a seizure, has trouble breathing, has collapsed, or is showing other signs of drug abuse, call 911 to get immediate medical attention attention. Or contact poison control at 1-800-222-1222 or online.
If you have a question about a drug, including an over-the-counter drug, call your healthcare provider or pharmacist or FDA.
https://www.wkrg.com/national/fda-tiktok-challenges-involving-medicine-are-a-recipe-for-danger/
