Quebec is proposing new restrictions on Benadryl and other medications containing diphenhydramine as their sole active ingredient following the overdose death of an 18-year-old in 2023.

The draft regulation, published in the Gazette officielle du Québec, would require these products to be kept behind pharmacy counters instead of being available on shelves.Pharmacists would still sell them without a prescription but must record sales in patient files.The measure stems from a coroner’s recommendation after the teen died of acute diphenhydramine poisoning at his home in St-Mathias-sur-Richelieu.Toxicological analysis confirmed lethal levels of the drug in his blood.

Coroners have linked similar deaths to uncontrolled access to over-the-counter substances, noting that diphenhydramine is used for its euphoric effects and suicide risks.

The proposal faces public consultation and aims to classify diphenhydramine under stricter pharmacist management, including tracking sales and conducting pharmacological reviews.This follows previous incidents like the 2020 Benadryl TikTok challenge, which led to multiple child deaths.Health officials emphasize the need for better control over substances that can be lethal in high doses.