Curmudgeon's Corner

I Must Live In A Cave...

Posted by Al Campbell on May 25, 2010

Quality of Life, Police, Germantown

It amazes me that there are so many things happening in our world of which I am blissfully unaware.  But it also frightens me on occasion and this is one of those occasions.

Have you heard about “eyeballing” or “snorting”?  These activities apparently found their beginnings in England and made their way to the U.S. courtesy of viral media such as YouTube.

Eyeballing involves the taking of vodka through the tissues of and surrounding the eyeball.  Snorting, which preceded eyeballing, involves the inhalation of bourbon.  Both activities supposedly create an alcohol-driven high, following painful sensations that last for several minutes.

These activities are apparently gaining favor amongst our young people.  Optometrists and Ophthalmologists agree that eyeballing is very harmful to vision.  It can damage vision very quickly, and can lead to blindness or irreversible vision loss.

Our youngsters and young adults are exposed to things you and me never could’ve dreamed up in our wildest moments.  My idea of ‘wild’ was a shared six-pack in a stone quarry outside Viroqua.  How tame I was by comparison, but only by pure dumb luck.  If drugs and practices such as eyeballing had been known to us oldsters then, would we have been tempted? 

Peer pressure is a huge force.  Parents today are faced with threats that are mind-boggling to members of my age group.  That comes at the very time when too many parents are too busy to keep close track of the goings on of their kids.

Please stay close to your kids and please be aware of today’s threats.  Summer vacation is nearly here and free time will be greatly increased.  Our Police department has well-trained officers who know today’s threats all too well.  I’m sure you can reach out for help if you feel the need to do so.