I’ve written before about why I don’t tan, and unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you know that tanning carries with it some pretty serious risks. Still, up to 80 percent of people under 25 are convinced that they look better with a tan, and every single day, more than one million Americans visit tanning salons. As dangerous as natural sun exposure can be, it seems that tanning beds may be even worse. People who have used indoor tanning beds are at a 75% higher risk for melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer.

So why do people take the risk? Because they want to look good. And, according to a new study, they may be addicted. In 2005, scientists showed that many sunbathers met the medical definition of substance abuse disorder. This inspired researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to dig a little deeper. Their results, which were published over the summer, found that brain scans of frequent tanners showed activity that was similar to the patterns of drug addiction. Read More »

This morning, Twitter told me two very interesting things: 1. DrunkenCooking is now following me and 2. Lindsay Lohan (fresh from rehab and jail) admitted to failing her most recent drug test.  For me, this means I’ve made it big. For Lilo, this means another 30 days in the slammer.  While I could very well go ahead and make fun of her leggings line, her mug shot, or how the population of America is not going to have anything to read about for the next 30 days while Lilo is behind bars, it’s time to get serious.

I’m really beginning to become legitimately concerned for Lilo.  As I should.  I remember when Britney Spears was shaving her head and whipping out umbrellas at paparazzi.   I was most certainly not making fun of Britney’s recent endorsement for Candies, or how funny her head was shaped.  I cared for Britney Spears, I wanted the best for her.  There was a piece inside of me that felt bad for her. I wanted to pull her aside, buy her Starbucks and talk it out.  I understand Britney’s situation is a little different than Lilo’s, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t want to reach out to someone that has a problem and wish the best for them.

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This is boring.

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman (unless she happens to be charging at us with her fists raised), so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like soul mates!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

Schools all over have been experimenting with social media lately – some of them getting into it and some of them encouraging their students to stay out of it. Now Harrisburg University of Science and Tech are blocking all social media from the school’s network including Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and AIM for a week. They’re not the first school to try a move like this, but my question is, is it right?

I think we’re all willing to admit that we’re maybe a little over-connected, maybe a little obsessed with our social media and it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world not to check our Twitter feeds every two minutes. I’m not striking out against the school not supporting social media – it’s their network and if they don’t want students using it that way, it’s their prerogative to block those sites. My problem is that this is an experiment. That’s right, a guy at Harrisburg saw his teen daughter juggling a lot of social media and decided to see what would happen if he took it away. Except, instead of conducting this little experiment in his home, he chose to use his position at the college to pull a social media blackout for a week. And then proceeded to tell virtually no one about it. My qualms about the experiment’s ethics aside (hello, consent?) the bigger question is, is this something the school should really be policing?

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I always knew I had an addictive personality. To be fair, though, for awhile I thought that meant that other people were addicted to my personality: my sense of humor, my charming ways, my gift giving skills… But then I got to college, smoked my first cigarette outside of a frat party and quickly learned that:

A) There are some people who don’t find me charming
B) Cigarettes are delightful when you’re drinking

But despite all the bad things about cigarettes and the fact that I now have to stand in the rain to smoke them because they’re illegal indoors, that addiction might actually be the least of my problems. So let me share my 10 worst addictions that might be worthy of an A&E Intervention. Read More »

My aunt has been addicted to cheap pink wine fore 13 years. When I was a teenager I remember finding a giant bottle tucked away in the fridge near her bathroom. She used to say, “I just like having a glass before bed…it helps me sleep.” But even then I knew there was more to it than that.

This woman I knew as energetic, happy and fun transformed into a mean, foul being who constantly played the blame-game when she explained why she drank. “Your mother and uncle have always been awful to me…they made me this way.” I never loved my husband…he made me this way.”

Listening to her go on and on was not only angering, but utterly draining. I’d leave her house after a visit and feel exhausted by the toxic energy she spewed at me. It was in that last moment, when I pulled out of her driveway, that I decided I’d never set foot in her house again.  Read More »

A couple months ago, I read the book “Beautiful Boy” by David Sheff, which chronicles the author’s experiences as a father of a drug addict. Because his son, Nic, was known for his writing (even publishing a piece in Newsweek while still in high school!), his father’s publishers were interested in him writing about his own journey. In “Tweak,” Nic chronicles his experience from his point of view.

Having read “Beautiful Boy,” I can say that “Tweak” not only complements “Beautiful Boy,” but also provides an alternative route to the same ending. “Tweak” is aimed at a younger generation. And even though it is basically an addict discussing his horrible experiences with drugs, Sheff never preaches or seems pretentious. He remembers who his audience is; young, hip and liable to experiment.

Nic has wild adventures, rivaling hardcore experiences in books like “A Million Little Pieces” (only, you know, they are real).  From running with gang members in San Francisco, to shacking up with an old classmate in his parents’ summer estate, he’s not kidding around. He doesn’t shy away from the gritty reality of drug abuse, even though he has relapsed several times and doesn’t believe he’s completely over his addiction. It’s interesting because even though he realizes how horrible his addiction is, he admits that he can often not stop. This book portrays the reality and helplessness of addiction wonderfully and really paints addiction as a disease. Read More »

It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. And in the game of Bad Habits, you will always come out a loser. As I laid in a tanning bed, I thought about how this bad habit was going to affect me in the long run. Even though I love the immediate benefits of this vice (golden, sun-kissed skin!), I can’t help but worry about my future as a leather-skinned freak. Is the bronze skin of today worth the skin cancer of tomorrow? Let’s examine the dangerous games we play and weigh whether the consequences are worth the benefits:

Tanning

Why We Do It: I am addicted to the healthy glow I get from taking a 20 minute nap in my favorite tanning bed! I feel more relaxed, have less acne, and generally feel less self-conscious. When I’m feeling confident, I can stand up straighter, smile bigger, and show off my legs without feeling embarrassed. I feel like confidence enhances my life and I don’t want to go through my heyday without it. Read More »

Amy Winehouse gets more press for her cracked-out shenanigans than her songs, and today is no different. The Grammy-winning songbird and drug addict was photographed this morning at the doorway of her London home in a mesh tank top, eating cheese on toast, and sporting a brand-new, mop-top hairdo.  While her hair certainly looks healthier than it did during the days of her iconic, ratty beehive, that’s about all of Amy that’s looking better these days. As she ix-nays the up-do, let’s take a look at the past fashions of Ms. Winehouse:

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If you’re as addicted to caffeine as I am, you are probably broke (not to mention a real gem in the early morning hours). But, like any good junkie, you’re more than willing to flip the couch cushions in search of a few quarters, or sell your kidney to pay for a grande White Chocolate Mocha on your way to school.

I have to admit, I’m a huge Starbucks fan, and am usually fine with shelling out a few extra dollars to indulge in something tastier than Folgers. Still, I need a new winter wardrobe… so I’m weaning myself off of overpriced coffee drinks (that taste like dessert) and makin’ my coffee at home.

I know it’s a bold move, but after playing around a bit I have learned a few things: 1) Making your own coffee can save you billions, and 2) It is really, really easy. Here are a few tips:

1. Flavor it Up.

Whenever I make my own coffee, no matter how good the brand, or how carefully I measure the coffee-to-water ratio, it always seems to taste like dirt. My solution? Flavor, flavor, flavor. Syrup, syrup, Equal, syrup. Seriously, who just gets a latte from Starbucks? Everyone has their signature: the Pumpkin Latte, Caramel Macchiato, White Chocolate Mocha…what do they have in common? Manufactured taste. Instead of shelling out $4-$5 a day for Starbucks, buy a bottle of Torani Syrups. This brand is used in tons of coffee shops across the country, so you might not even taste the difference. Read More »

Amy Winehouse may be totally cracked out, but that doesn’t mean her brain isn’t working. The girl is innovative. When it comes to doing drugs, this woman will try anything. Like, I don’t know, mixing it with everyone’s favorite sugary treat: cotton candy.

Maybe it was born out of desperation (“I have to think of a way to get my coke fix without whipping a vial out of my nappy hair!”), or boredom (“Doing lines gets really old after a few years…”), but however she cooked up this idea doesn’t matter. Because she did.

Winehouse has recently purchased a cotton candy machine which she fills with her tasty coke/candy concoction.

Seriously, we can’t make this stuff up. We just wonder what tasty mixture she’ll think of next: Crack Fries? Ecstasy lollipops? Heroin hamburgers? Horse tranquilizer milkshakes?

Mmmm. Horse tranquilizer milkshakes….

[Photo courtesy of www.ninjadude.com]