Poison centers link growing Benadryl abuse among teens to dangerous social media trends

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News’ Bryan Llenas breaks down findings from a new study on teen drug overdose deaths, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. America’s youth have been increasingly abusing common over-the-counter medications, according to poison center records. A health advisory from America’s Poison Centers, representing 53 poison centers across the country, alerted a "concerning rise" in cases of diphenhydramine abuse among teens ages 13 to 19. Diphenhydramine is commonly found in allergy and sleep medications such as Benadryl and Zzzquil, as mentioned in the advisory. PEOPLE TAKING COMMON SLEEP DRUG MAY NOT REALIZE THEY'RE TOO IMPAIRED TO DRIVE, STUDY FINDS From 2024 to 2025, the total exposure to any substance among teens in this age group reportedly increased by 5.1%. But cases involving diphenhydramine alone increased more rapidly, from 10,068 t