Introduction to Vodka Eyeballing

Alcohol is drank, enters the bloodstream through the stomach, and spreads throughout the body. Or so we thought. A new craze emerged in 2010, vodka eyeballing, which required pouring the shot directly into your eye. Containing 40% alcohol, the scar that results permanently damages the eyeball and may lead to blindness.

Vodka eyeballing is really nothing more than a cheap party trick or sometimes done on a dare. It is performed by tipping your head back and pouring vodka directly into the eye. It is believed to have started in Las Vegas nightclubs with waitresses encouraging patrons to eyeball the vodka to get them drunker faster; working under the assumption that drunks tip more. Experts, however, say the belief is counter to reality. That the alcohol passes through the mucous membrane of the eye and directly into the bloodstream is heavily debated.

Popularity

Although they are risking permanent damage to the eyes along with cloudy vision and possible blindness, this isn’t stopping some young people who will go to any lengths to be the cool kid at the party. You can even “fan” a Vodka eyeballing group on Facebook. As of 2010, YouTube hosts over eight hundred videos showing partiers eyeballing vodka. One such clip involves a man named Carlo who demonstrates how the process is done. During the taping, he says, “That is excruciating, my eye burns like hell.”

Is it bad for you?

In 2010, the American Academy of Ophthalmology released the following statement:

“People need to be aware that anyone who pours vodka directly into his eye risks damaging the surface epithelial cells, often causing pain and infection.” They went on to state, “Eyeballers do not get a “˜quick high’ as claimed because the volume of vodka absorbed by the conjunctiva and cornea is too small to have that effect.”