When it comes to drugs, there are many different ways that a person may consume or use different substances. Though using any type of illicit substance can cause many negative health complications, there are some forms of substance use that are worse than others.

Boofing is a slang term that describes the use of substances through the anus. The most common drugs that people boof include heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and alcohol. There are other phrases that describe this same action: butt chugging, booty bumping, hooping, plugging, or UYB (up your bum).

Why Do People Boof Substances?

In general, this method of consuming drugs or alcohol can result in a faster high, which is why the people who boof choose to do this. The rectum has a thinner surface and a larger number of blood vessels, allowing whatever substance is being used to reach the bloodstream more quickly. It is a form of drug use that allows a person to achieve an intense high without having to inject the substance.

This also results in a more intense high because the substance more quickly makes it to the bloodstream without having to go through the digestive tract like oral drugs have to.

People may also choose to boof specific substances because it allows them to avoid other negative consequences that are associated with alternative methods of taking drugs. It can prevent a person from experiencing collapsed veins or abscesses from injecting drugs, endocarditis, bloody noses from snorting, or respiratory damage from smoking.

Risks of Boofing

There are negative consequences and health risks to taking any drug, but boofing poses its own particular risks to users, such as:

  • Damage to the anus. Boofing increases the likelihood that a person’s anus will tear, which can cause pain, bleeding, or infection. Damage to the anus will result in its own set of side effects like bloody stool, constantly needing to use the bathroom, uncontrollable bowel movements, blocked blood flow to the intestines, and possible cell death.
  • Infection. If the membrane around the anus is damaged, a person is more likely to catch a sexually transmitted infection (STI) even if the individual does not partake in anal sex. Repeated boofing increases the likelihood that a person contracts Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, bacterial infections, fungal infections, chlamydia-related lymphogranuloma venereum, and more.
  • Alcohol poisoning. When a person consumes alcohol through the anus, the body is unable to fight against alcohol poisoning. The alcohol is not filtered and directly enters the body through the rectum, causing a person to feel the full effects of the alcohol. The more alcohol that is consumed this way, the more likely a person will suffer from alcohol poisoning.
  • Overdose. Just like with alcohol, consuming drugs through the anus can lead to an overdose because the effects of the drug are felt much more quickly and people tend to use too much at a time. Symptoms of an overdose caused by boofing include slowed or stopped breathing, limp body, blue lips, loss of consciousness, dilated pupils, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, or seizures.

What Does Boofing Feel Like?

As stated previously, the effects of boofing cause a person to experience a faster, more intense high from whatever their drug of choice. In some cases, people feel the high in their limbs and body more so than when drugs are consumed in other ways. People have also felt extremely uncomfortable when boofing, and claim that the experience is painful.

The effect of the drugs or alcohol are often felt within minutes, if not sooner, and depending on the dose, can last several hours. This is because boofing allows the drugs or alcohol to make it straight into the bloodstream and digestive system without having to go through the stomach.

The Dangers of Boofing

If a person is choosing to boof drugs or alcohol, there is possibly an underlying substance use disorder that needs to be addressed. People don’t start taking drugs or consuming alcohol through the anus. This is the result of long-term drug abuse where a person feels that they need to consume the substance in a different way that allows for a more intense high.

When people become addicted to drugs, it is likely that their body or brain will need an increased amount over time. Boofing alcohol or drugs causes an intense, immediate high that lasts for hours, meaning that people who are addicted are more likely to use boofing as a last resort ingesting of drugs to get a new type of high. Because of this, it is likely that the person will use too much and overdose or have alcohol poisoning.

Treatment for several of the symptoms or consequences caused by boofing includes a colostomy. A colostomy is an opening in the stomach where the intestine protrudes, and a bag is attached to the outside of the body to collect human waste. Because of the damage that boofing can cause to the rectum, many people end up having to use a colostomy bag as they are unable to excrete human waste through the rectum anymore.

Treating Substance Use Disorders

If you or a loved one is suffering from drug addiction and have resorted to boofing in order to get a more intense high, seeking help through an addiction treatment center is the best way to overcome this behavioral health disorder. Because people often boof harder drugs like meth, heroin, or alcohol, treatment options might include longer-term rehab stays such as inpatient treatment.

It is critical to seek help for boofing before it causes an overdose or death. Though your body may have damage, your life will still be intact if treatment takes place. Call our rehab facility today so that we can address your individual needs and help you find a new life of sobriety.