Vodka eyeballing is the practice of consumingvodka by pouring it into theeye sockets, where it is absorbed through the mucous membranes of the region into the bloodstream. Reports of this practice as a newfad surfaced in the media beginning in 2010,[1][2][3][4][5][6] as hundreds of clips of persons purporting to engage in the practice were posted onYouTube.[7] The practice is promoted by advocates as causing rapid intoxication, but the amount ofalcohol absorbed by the eye is low.[8]
Some observers maintained that the phenomenon was not a real craze, describing the coverage as amedia feeding frenzy and part of "a long history of trend pieces that come out of nowhere". The initial press coverage in British tabloidThe Daily Mail was criticized for basing its entire story on an injury from a single student stunt, and extrapolating this into a "trend" after a YouTube search showed hundreds of similar videos.[9][10][11] JournalistMichael Strangelove said that the videos, which date back to 2006, seemed genuine and should not be dismissed as a deceptive "prank" against the media.[12]
The 2000 comedy filmKevin & Perry Go Large includes a character called Eyeball Paul who engages in the practice.[7]
The practice formed part of the fictional plot of the February 6, 2013 episode of the Canadian TV seriesTrauma, leading to a young woman receiving (successful)cornea transplants.[13]
Vodka eyeballing can causecorneal abrasions and scarring, promoteangiogenesis in the eye (and thereby cause loss of vision), and increase the risk for eye infections;[8] it has been condemned by theAmerican Academy of Ophthalmology.[14]
