What may have started as a joke is now becoming a national health concern. Alcohol enema, also known as butt chugging, caused the hospitalization of a fraternity student at the University of Tennessee last week.
Alcohol enema increases the rate at which alcohol is absorbed because the process of absorption skips the stomach and goes straight to the intestines. After entering the intestines it’s quickly instilled into the bloodstream. When the underage student arrived at the hospital he had a blood alcohol level of 0.448. This is almost six times the legal limit.
During alcohol enema the liquid is typically insert by a syringe into the anus. Reports say that in this case the fraternity was using rubber tubes to insert alcohol into the anus. The fraternity is suspended and on probation for several months.
The risks of this type of excessive drinking outweigh the benefits. Typically when people consume a lot of alcohol their stomach will feel upset and signal them to stop. But during an alcohol enema more alcohol can be absorbed before any signals go to the brain. Previous alcohol poisoning via enema has resulted in death.
