University Of Tennessee Student Almost Dies From Alcohol Enema

A University of Tennessee student almost died from an alcohol enema he was given at a Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity party. Alexander Broughton, 20, arrived at the hospital unconscious after a rubber tube was manually inserted into his rectum and alcohol was poured in. The practice is often referred to as “butt chugging” by college students.

Hospital staff initially believed that Broughton was the victim of a sexual assault. Medical care providers later found out that his pals at the Knoxville campus had devised the makeshift enema. The University of Tennessee student had an extremely high blood alcohol level; it was reportedly over 0.4, according to the Daily Mail. UT Medical Center doctors noted the young man had ingested so much booze that he could have died from alcohol poisoning.

Broughton arrived at the hospital during the early morning hours on Saturday and allegedly appeared extremely intoxicated to the emergency room staff. He was eventually transferred to the critical care unit and then discharged on Monday.

Police spokesman Darrell DeBusk had this to say about the alcohol enema incident:

“Upon extensive questioning it is believed that members of the fraternity were using rubber tubing inserted into rectums as a conduit for alcohol, as the abundance of capillaries and blood vessel present greatly heightens the level and speed of the alcohol entering the blood stream as it bypasses the liver.”

When investigators arrived at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house, they discovered three more students passed out in their rooms. Empty boxes of wine were found cast about the house, not an entirely unusual sight in college. But the dangerous practice of butt chugging caused enough concern for university officials that Pi Kappa Alpha was suspended pending the outcome of the investigation, according to ABC Action News.

In 2008, the same chapter was placed on administrative suspension after a hazing incident where pledges were instructed to do push-ups on broken glass. Three of the participants were later hospitalized with staph infections.