# Can alcohol be absorbed rectally? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129 "2004-07-01T22:51:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/1 "2004-07-01T22:51:43Z")
If so, would it absorb faster that way than drinking it would? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/2 "2004-07-01T23:07:51Z")
Since a lot of other drugs are absorbed in the rectum, I imagine alcohol would be too. Suppositories are a fairly common way of givivng drugs, especially for patients with throat & stomach problems. And I’ve always heard that French doctors prescribe most drugs as suppositories! (No idea if that’s really true.) But about the absorbtion rate, I’d think that the rate thru the throat, stomach, & upper intestines would be higher – that’s what they’re designed for, after all. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/3 "2004-07-01T23:08:12Z")
Considerations of speed aside, I’m thinking this would _hurt_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/4 "2004-07-01T23:10:07Z")
It frightens me that someone would even consider ingesting alcohol rectally. ---
**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/5 "2004-07-01T23:10:45Z")
Yes, alcohol can be absorbed rectally, vaginally, or through many other mucosal surfaces (nasally, orally without swallowing, etc.) I’m not aware of any studies ion the rate of uptake in humans, but I would guess that it would be somewhat slower. A liquid like alcohol would pass quickly from the stomach to the small intestine, which is lined with a high density of fine villi that dramatically increase its surface area – precisely for efficent absorption. The large intestine, and particularly the rectum (the last part of the large intestine) also has structures that increase its surface area (rugae, pits, crypts) so it can actively resorb water from the feces, but they are coarser features, and don’t increase the available surface area nearly as much. Do you want fries -er- cites with that? ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/6 "2004-07-01T23:18:03Z")
Couples…how’d you get drunk on your honeymoon? “In the butt, Bob”. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/7 "2004-07-01T23:51:02Z")
It’s absorbed quite easily through the colon, and my understanding is it takes effect rather strongly and rapidly when taken this way. ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/8 "2004-07-01T23:56:54Z")
I believe one can consume vodka by holding the bottle to the eye. It works faster or something. I think it was in a movie. Either that or the vicar used to drink his sherry that way when he came round for lunch. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/9 "2004-07-01T23:59:22Z")
Are we talking IV here?..or sitting on a Corona bottle and standing on your hands? Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/10 "2004-07-02T00:01:20Z")
I’ve certainly seen a lot of drunken a\*\*holes. ---
**Author:** ![jfb1138](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jfb1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jfb1138)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/11 "2004-07-02T00:04:18Z")
A Polish girlfriend told me that when she was a university student, she and her crowd use to economize by analy consuming booze. It took far less than drinking it, worked faster, but still left a headache the next morning. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/12 "2004-07-02T00:12:13Z")
Actually there’s a little history here! About 15 years ago “American Heritage” published a paper that the ancient Incas brewed an alcoholic beverage vile enough to make you lose it if you drank it. So they used the enema method. _“Rhinal absorption of intoxicants is widespread [Anadenanthera beans, coca leaves, Virola resin, and many nicotianas] on the subcontinent and represents, apparently, a peculiarly American custom which, together with tobacco, spread to the Old World in post-Columbian times.”_ ---
**Author:** ![simply\_cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@simply\_cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simply_cats)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/13 "2004-07-02T00:58:47Z")
A friend of mine that is a nurse in a university town was just talking about this topic the other day. Kids get drunker faster, and in some circles it is quite a thing. She also said that the rate of alcohol poisoning was greater using this form of ingestion. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/14 "2004-07-02T01:13:53Z")
gives sh\*\*-faced a whole new meaning but how do people actually do this? what are the mechanics? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/15 "2004-07-02T02:03:11Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > Considerations of speed aside, I’m thinking this would _hurt_. Would the alcohol cause a burning sensation? ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/16 "2004-07-02T02:16:56Z")
> [@KP](#): > > Yes, alcohol can be absorbed rectally, vaginally, or through many other mucosal surfaces (nasally, orally without swallowing, etc.) I’m not aware of any studies ion the rate of uptake in humans, but I would guess that it would be somewhat slower. I know people have commented on this already but I wanted to emphasize that alcohol is absorbed MUCH MUCH faster into the bloodstream when taken rectally rather than orally. It takes much less to get you drunk if you partake of an alcohol enema. And it takes much, much less to give you alcohol poisoning. Anyone who is thinking of taking an alcohol enema better do a lot of research on it first. You’re really taking a risk if you don’t know what you’re doing. ---
**Author:** ![BoringDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@BoringDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoringDad)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/17 "2004-07-02T04:02:28Z")
> [@missbunny](#): > > Anyone who is thinking of taking an alcohol enema better do a lot of research on it first. You’re really taking a risk if you don’t know what you’re doing. So there are people who are experts in this? Ya know, I never found getting drunk so difficult that it occurred to me to ask “Gosh, if only there was some faster way to get drunk. Hey! What about shooting it up my tuckus?” But now that I think about it, I can see how that extra 20 minutes you save by not actually drinking the alcohol would give you just that much extra time to be passed out! ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/18 "2004-07-02T12:00:18Z")
> [@Doug Bowe](#): > > Actually there’s a little history here! > > _“Rhinal absorption of intoxicants is widespread [Anadenanthera beans, coca leaves, Virola resin, and many nicotianas] on the subcontinent and represents, apparently, a peculiarly American custom which, together with tobacco, spread to the Old World in post-Columbian times.”_ I can see an new Anti-Smoking campaign _“you can stick that cigarette where the sun don’t shine.”_ Reduces passive smoking. Simon ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/19 "2004-07-02T12:04:19Z")
> [@](#): > > “Rhinal absorption of intoxicants is widespread [Anadenanthera beans, coca leaves, Virola resin, and many nicotianas] on the subcontinent and represents, apparently, a peculiarly American custom which, together with tobacco, spread to the Old World in post-Columbian times.” :smack: Must read closer - \*Rhinal absorption \* - through the **Nose**. Simon ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129/20 "2004-07-02T12:17:16Z")
**Blalron** - remind me never to share a pint with you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alcohol-be-absorbed-rectally/253129.md?page=2)