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America's Poison Centers has issued a health advisory warning of a sharp rise in diphenhydramine abuse among teenagers, with cases involving the antihistamine ingredient found in Benadryl and Zzzquil climbing 32% between 2024 and 2025.
Data from the organization, which represents 53 poison centers nationwide, points to recreational misuse driven by social media challenges as the primary cause.
A Trend Accelerating Into 2026 The numbers tell a straightforward story of escalation.
Diphenhydramine-only exposure cases among teens aged 13 to 19 rose from 10,068 to 13,284 between 2024 and 2025 — far outpacing the 5.1% rise in total substance exposures recorded for the same age group over the same period.
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