US EditionQuebec coroner calls for tougher controls over diphenhydramine sales after 2023 death
- A Quebec coroner recommended tighter controls on diphenhydramine sales after an 18-year-old man died from poisoning in December 2023 near Montreal.
- The recommendation follows toxicology results confirming lethal diphenhydramine levels caused respiratory depression and irregular heartbeat leading to death.
- The coroner highlighted rising deaths linked to the drug, noting a 2020 increase after the Benadryl TikTok challenge encouraged excessive consumption.
- Coroner Vincent Denault expressed confusion over why diphenhydramine remains readily available over the counter, particularly since Gravol—which also contains the drug—is not sold without restrictions.
- The provincial pharmacists’ order announced it would review the recommendation to potentially move diphenhydramine behind the pharmacist's counter for increased oversight.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Quebec man's death prompts coroner's call to tighten controls on diphenhydramine sales
A Quebec coroner is recommending that diphenhydramine — an antihistamine and sedative sometimes used to sleep better — should be better managed in pharmacies after the overdose death of an 18-year-old man south of Montreal in December 2023.
Following the deaths of the Quebec coroner's office asks to supervise the sale of diphenhydramine
The Quebec coroner's office recommends that diphenhydramine – an antihistamine and sedative sometimes used to sleep better – be better controlled in pharmacy after the overdose death of an 18-year-old man in December 2023.
Quebec Coroner Calls for Tougher Controls Over Diphenhydramine Sales After 2023 Death
A Quebec coroner is recommending that diphenhydramine—an antihistamine and sedative sometimes used to sleep better—should be better managed in pharmacies after the overdose death of an 18-year-old man south of Montreal in December 2023. The young man, whose identity is not revealed in the report made public, died of acute diphenhydramine poisoning at his home in St-Mathias-sur-Richelieu. On the morning of Dec. 11, 2023, the man was found by his …
Global News
Quebec coroner calls for tougher controls over diphenhydramine sales after 2023 death
A Quebec coroner recommends tighter control of diphenhydramine sales after an 18-year-old died from an overdose, calling its over-the-counter availability unsafe.
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