The practice called vodka eyeballing is a hot topic on Youtube.com. Young people are taking drinking to the extreme by putting vodka directly into their eye with the thought that it causes intoxication more quickly. In fact, doctors say it does not. It does have the potential to cause serious eye problems and infections. Alcohol councilors say it is thrill seeking young people taking part in this kind of risky behavior. Most times, they say, the people are intoxicated already. Councilors in our area say they haven't heard of kids locally doing this but they want parents to know the latest trends and to educate their kids not to do it.
Philip Rose with the Prevention Network said, "Parents, in a way, should be interested in this and have a conversation with young people even if to make fun of it, to say isn't this stupid. And then watch what your young person says."
Dr. John Hoepner, Ophthalmologist with Upstate Medical University, said, "If you were to do this for a prolonged period of time, you would open the surface of the cornea which would open it to infection. The eye is very easily infected. If the wrong bacteria get in, you can lose an eye in as short a time as 24 hours."
Alcohol councilors say a topic like this one could be a good jumping off point for parents to talk to their kids about alcohol, especially as we head into the warmer months which councilors say are higher risk times for young people and alcohol.
Check out the links below for more on this dangerous new teen trend.
