Researchers Deliver Holiday Warning About Dangers From Flying Champagne Corks

Scientists are warning champagne drinkers to take extra care over the holidays, as popping the cork incorrectly could lead to permanent blindness rather than a "sparkle" in revelers' eyes.

A study, published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal, warned of the dangers posed by highly pressurized bottles of fizz to people's eyesight if they don't use safe techniques.

"The pressure in a 750 ml bottle of champagne or sparkling wine is about three times that of a standard car tire," researchers said, adding that a cork could fly up to 42 feet at around 50 mph.

That means that the cork could fly from bottle to eye in as little as 0.05 seconds, meaning blinking reflexively to protect the eye is ineffective.

"A cork hitting an eye can cause permanent blindness, retinal detachment, and lens dislocation, among other conditions," the paper continued.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology said in October that anyone injured by a cork, should seek immediate medical attention.

"Champagne cork injuries really do happen, and they have real consequences," Andrew Iwach, MD, ophthalmologist and glaucoma specialist, said in a press release.

Iwach treated a patient who developed advanced glaucoma and cataracts following a champagne cork hit them in the eye 20 years ago. Despite getting help at the time, the woman didn't seek follow-up appointments and slowly lost her vision.

Earlier this week, a New York man filed a lawsuit against a cruise line after a cork exploded through its wire cage and hit him in the eye in February. He said this left him with a serious, permanent injury.

The BMJ paper points to celebrity injuries, too. Cyclist Biniam Girmay opened a bottle of prosecco following his win at the Giro d’Italia in May 2022, and the cork hit his eye, causing an anterior chamber hemorrhage.

While many patients recover their sight, researchers said that in 26% of cases studied in 2005, patients were left legally blind.

How to open a bottle of champagne safely

The scientists said that more awareness is needed to avoid more devastating eye injuries.

"Let us toast to an excellent new year, keep the bubbly in our glass, and the sparkle in our eyes," they said.

The advice is to: