Eyeballing vodka has become the latest student craze to worry parents. Media reports have warned of the ocular dangers teenagers face while attempting to emulate the practice of tipping vodka directly into their eye socket in the hope of an instant high.
The practice of tipping spirits into the eyes in the hope of achieving an alcohol rush is not new but it has been receiving a lot of media coverage of late. Newspapers such as the Daily Mail point to social networking sites such as You Tube where examples of eyeballing, usually with vodka, can be found. Most of the reports have carried quotes from doctors warning of the danger to vision of putting alcohol in the eyes while others have suggested it is a myth that a high is induced through the practice.
Optician clinical editor Bill Harvey writes: 'High concentrations of alcohol may result in some absorption through the conjunctival vasculature though this is unlikely to be anything near the amount downed in a large shot orally. My main concern is one of toxic effects on the surfaces, particularly the cornea. Alcohol has antiseptic properties but the many impurities and additives in many popular "eyeball" drinks, such as Aftershock, present a significant risk of toxic response at the cornea which could then pre-empt an infection.'