The WA Poison Center is warning that students are using Benadryl as a sleep aid or form of self-harm. The center wants to remind parents and those who work with teens that spring can be a turbulent time as the school year nears its end and academic pressure and social anxiety increase.
In 2025, the center treated an average of 32 cases each month involving adolescents ages 13 to 19. In the first three months of 2026, that average rose to 52 cases per month.
As students return home, the center encourages families and organizations working with youth to lock up prescription and over-the-counter medicines, dispose of unused drugs, and secure other risks, including guns, cleaners, pesticides, and chemicals.
For more information on the misuse of over-the-counter medication, go here.
