Why?

Most likely a combination of increasingly high tolerances and general boredom. But, the new frontiers they are exploring are not only dangerous, but straight up bizarre.

CollegeCandy has compiled a list of the 6 wackiest (and not recommended) ways to get effed up. Seriously, coming from a bunch of girls who enjoy Franzia for breakfast, we do not condone these actions.

Robotripping
Apparently, this old technique of getting a quick high is making a comeback. Robotrippers chug cough syrup to hit their desired peak. I remember seeing this on an episode of Popular back in the day and thinking it was the dumbest thing I had ever heard…I hated cough medicine! Ten years later, I still find it ridiculous.

Four Loko
The newest controversial malt beverage, Four Loko has caused quite a commotion amongst media outlets. With flavors from Watermelon to Blue Raspberry, they fuel students with a combination of alcohol and stimulants. Some students can handle the power of the Loko, but most cannot. Dubbed “blackout in a can,” students turn to these drinks to get drunk fast. Personally, I think Four Loko tastes like battery acid in a can. I’ll stick to an RBV, please.

Whippits
Is sucking the nitrous oxide out of whipped cream cans for a few-second high worth the brain cells you’re killing in the process (not to mention all that deliciousness you’re wasting)? Probably not.

Vodka Tampons
Yes, you heard right. There are some girls that will soak tampons with vodka and insert them down there. Ick, the thought of that makes me cringe. The alcohol then enters the blood stream immediately, allowing for a calorie-free drunk. In the process, though, it absolutely tears apart the vagina. Also, its much more difficult to gauge how much alcohol you are consuming, making the entire practice even more dangerous.

Eyeballing
Once, a friend was shaking some martinis and the shaker opened, splashing the contents all over me. Burnett’s vodka flooded my eye. It was absolutely painful. Apparently, some people are pouring vodka into their eyes voluntarily. This gets you drunk faster, although it can lead to “clotting of the blood vessels, constantly watering eyes and even deterioration of eyesight.” So sick, bro.

Butt Bong
Ew, I am grossed out by even typing those words. But, apparently some people have tried to get drunk by pouring beer into their anus. WTF.

How about we all stick to solo cups/shot glasses paired with some Natty Ice, Jose Cuervo, or other strong (but normal) beverages of choice and call it a day? Remember party people: the only orifice you should be using to drink is your mouth.

Dear Tuffy Luv,
I have been with my boyfriend for a couple weeks now. We are still getting to know each other and trying to take it slow. He is a 21 year old that has a steady job, his own place and a nice car; he’s definitely got it together. He’s planning on going back to school for his Master’s next fall. Here”s the problem: he is an ex gang member and I`m pretty sure he used to deal drugs as well.

All of that happened when he was fairly young, I wanna say maybe when he was 13 till he was about 16 or 17. He was very honest about his past and the way he explains it is that he had friends who did it and so he got caught up in it as well. He’s by no means proud of his past but he is definitely willing to talk about it if there`s questions. He has tattoos, most of which are not visible but he does have the three dots on both hands representing the gang he was in. The tattoos are very faded now, but if you pay close attention you can see them. I really like this guy and believe that people can change, especially when they have done something like that at such a young age. He basically moved away from all the gang activity and drugs to start over.

My only concern with this entire situation is that he may one day go back to all of that. Also, how will all of this affect him in the future? How will it affect our relationship? His past worries me because of what my family is going to think about him. How do I prepare them for him and his past? How do I go about this so that they dont freak out? I’m sure once they meet him they’ll think differently but until then they wanna know about him and this is something I can’t keep from them. What should I do?

Thanks,
Does the past really stay in the past

Dear Does the Past,

I gotta level with you. When I saw the phrase “ex gang member,” my heart sank.

This is dangerous territory, honey. Gangs are nothing to be messed with. So let’s look at this from a couple of angles:

(1) He may still be in a gang. From what Tuffy understands, it’s really, really, really hard to leave gangs once you’ve joined them, especially if you were involved in stuff that was illegal. You need to find out the truth here. Sit him down and have a real heart-to-heart. When did he last work for these people? What, exactly, was his involvement? Did he ever do anything violent? Did he ever go to jail?

From there, you need to decide if he seems like he’s still violent (if he ever was, chances are he still has the capacity for violence) and whether or not you believe that he’s really done with that gang lifestyle. You didn’t say what he’s doing for a job now, but you did imply he’s got money. Make sure it’s really coming from his day job.

You do NOT want to hook up with a guy in a gang. It’s very dangerous. Don’t get yourself into a situation you can’t get out of.

Or:

(2) He really has left that all behind him. Look, sometimes bad things happen to good people. Maybe his childhood was less than desirable and he got caught up in some shiz he now, as a good person and functioning adult, regrets. If this is the case, there’s no reason to be embarrassed of him. If he really has reformed, what does it matter what he did for three years of his teens? As long as he would never, ever, EVER go there again, there shouldn’t be a problem.

But! If it is number 2 and you still find yourself being ashamed, there’s no point in continuing the relationship. If you’re not okay with his past, you shouldn’t string him along hoping you’ll eventually get over it. At this early stage in the relationship, it’s all about your comfort level, baby.

Be careful, girl. I really hope he’s legit and cool now and that that’s all behind him. Just make sure you know for real before you start investing too much into a guy you may or may not be able to trust.

Hearts & Skulls,
Tuffy Luv

It’s been almost six months since I wrote to you all about my blood clot experience, and, let me tell you, has it been rough. I’ve gone through a lot of snags that I didn’t expect, but then again I didn’t expect to get a clot either.

I’ve spent the first half of 2009 looking like a heroin addict from all the blood tests I’ve gotten and a pill-poppin’ animal (thanks, Lil Wayne) from all the medications I’m taking. I can’t even count how many times I’ve told the story of what happened and answered countless questions. I particularly love the, “Aren’t you young?” question.

Yes, I’m young.
Does it mean I’m invincible? No.

The first few months were very difficult for me because I was still adjusting to the medication and trying to process the fact that I almost died. Coumadin, or Warfarin, is a blood thinner. I quickly found out that being on blood thinners makes you cold. Almost all the time. So walking to class was hard because I was freezing my little butt off. And don’t even try me on going to parties at night. Since my clot was bigger, it took a long time for it to disappear, which made it hard for me to breathe a lot of the time. Long walks across campus got me winded, and I couldn’t exercise. Pretty much, my whole love for being fit and athletic went out the window.

Along with my lack of exercise, my love for healthy foods like salad, broccoli, asparagus, basically anything green (yeah, kiwi too), was gone. Since foods that are green are rich in vitamin K, a blood thickening agent, I couldn’t eat them unless I did it consistently. I decided it was better not to eat them at all because my blood level was so hard to regulate in the first place.

While on Coumadin, they test your INR (international normalized ratio), which is a fancy way of telling how thick or thin your blood is. The margin is very small, and because I’m so young it made it much harder to get my blood to fall in the range and stay there. While the “average” person with a blood clot takes a few weeks to regulate, it took me about 4 months. I was getting blood tests two or three times a WEEK instead of once a month.

I’ve encountered several issues during this whole ordeal. I can’t be on the Pill ever again, which means I have to be extra careful (and, thankfully, my boyfriend has been great about that).  I’m currently debating my other birth control options. The Depo-Provera shot doesn’t have estrogen in it, but it still carries a slight risk for blood clots. I’m too young for an IUD, so I’m pretty much stuck with the shot or using a diaphragm or condoms.

Another issue is that I get sick… a lot. I’m prone to frequent bladder infections, colds and flu-type illnesses, and I tend to get migraines and headaches frequently.  Unfortunately, because meds affect the blood thinners, I can’t take anything. Think about trying to endure the flu without meds.  Welcome to my clotted life.

In thirteen days I will be of Coumadin and I am excited to celebrate with a salad and margaritas. Finally, I’ll be able to get back to some sort of normal life with vegetables and alcohol!  Not to mention I’ll have the tolerance of a five year old, and that is awesome.  I’m looking forward to not getting goosebumps when it’s 60 degrees outside and being able to walk around without feelings like I ran up ten flights of stairs.  I can’t wait to run into stuff and not immediately bruise, and for my veins to stop looking like I’ve been shooting up in some back alley on campus.

I can joke about the situation now having lived it, but I seriously want every single reader to know how serious a situation this is.  It can happen to anyone on birth control, especially you girls who like to light up. Whether you smoke like a chimney or you “socially” smoke (“I’m so drunk I need a cigarette”), it increases your risk for a clot.  I was lucky; had I not gone to the hospital or if I had been an hour late, I’d be dead.

Birth control has serious side effects like blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks.  Take the risks seriously and pay attention to your body!

Everybody’s doing it.  There’s different types, names, and ways to do it.   Two girls, one guy.  One girl, one guy.  Two guys.  You name it, it happens.   And according to New York City’s most trusted paper, this oh-so unusual and odd act causes “peer pressure,” and is leaving parents “baffled.”   That’s right everybody,  we’re talking about hugging.

I didn’t think The Times could get more desperate for a relevant “News” story after discussing the dangers of texting, but it looks like I was wrong. It seems that texting-thumb isn’t the biggest issue plaguing our generation right now. The real question?  To hug or not to hug.

Underage drinking is dangerous.  Drugs, sex, whatever.  But hugs?  I’m pretty sure those things are safe.  They are not things to fear or be worried about, as the Times is portrating them; they’re hugs! They’re innocent yet meaningful exchanges among people, not some gateway drug that will eventually lead to middle school prostitution.

It’s funny, but also infuriating that the Times would make such a big deal about a simple hug. The way they’re talking, you’d think kids were giving blow jobs in the halls. And if that were the case, I’d understand. I mean, that changes the whole story…literally:

• “We’re not afraid, we just get in and [give blow jobs],” said Danny Schneider, a junior at the school, where hallway [blow jobs] began shortly after 7 a.m. on a recent morning as students arrived. “The guy friends, we don’t care. You just get right in there and jump in.”
• There are romantic [blow jobs] too, but that is not what these teenagers are talking about.
• “If somebody were to not [blow] someone, to never [blow] anybody, people might be just a little wary of them and think they are weird or peculiar,” said Gabrielle Brown, a freshman at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in Manhattan.
• But pro-[blow jobbing] students say it is not a romantic or sexual gesture, simply the “hello” of their generation. “We like to get cozy,” said Katie Dea, an eighth grader at Claire Lilienthal Alternative School in San Francisco. “The high-five is, like, boring.”

See? Now that’s wrong, but a hug? Come on, New York Times! I don’t know what kind of hugs you’ve been getting, but I’m pretty sure they’re harmless. Once again, there are bigger things to discuss like, I don’t know, education reform? Bullying?

I say, hug and be hugged!  All the time! Whenever you want, wherever you want.  But, just to be safe, make it quick; you don’t want to be late to class.

The most dangerous thing our generation is doing? Texting, apparently.

The New York Times recently wrote an article (published in their ‘health’ section, no less) about the dangers of texting.  The sources scattered throughout the article wail about their teenage son or daughter sending thousands of texts per month (uh…more like per week) and the drastic effects it has on their poor baby’s health.

Seriously, parents and teachers?  You’re worried about excessive texting rather than say, drunk driving or hard drug use?  I mean, a case of sore thumbs can certainly ruin your day, but I’m pretty sure huffing paint thinner is gonna at least eff up your week.

The article cites problems such as anxiety, distraction in school, failing grades (probably a result of the distraction, I’m guessing), repetitive stress injury, and sleep deprivation.  Um, this may just be me, but doesn’t that sound like a normal high school or college student?  Hell, even before I had texting on my phone (yes, I was a late texting bloomer), I had a fair few of those ‘symptoms’ (especially around finals week).

Let’s get serious, New York Times.  Why don’t we set the texting ‘issue’ aside and maybe focus on something else (anything else)?  Besides, in the time it took me to read your ridiculous article, I could have sent 17 text messages to my friends looking for drugs or discussing last night’s nooky. Clearly, our generation has larger issues.

Sometimes people get to the point where just drinking a drink isn’t enough. We all get into that rut and pull out the deck of cards or the stack of red cups. We get bored with the monotony and impatient for a good buzz. As the night goes on we begin to wonder if it would be more fun to perhaps shoot the alcohol into our mouths with a pistol, or tackle each other as we chug a frosty one. Or maybe mixing a little fire into the equation could be a good time?No.

These are bad ideas; each and every one of them. Drinking may be a huge part of the college experience but, there are just some things that shouldn’t be mixed with booze.

At Home Breathalyzer. This may seem like a good idea on the surface, but I’m here to warn you it’s not. Let’s think about the nature of college kids for a minute…. In a nutshell we are all competitive, fun-loving, idiots. Take those competitive, fun-loving idiots and add some alcohol and a Breathalyzer and you will have yourself a whole new drinking game called “Who can blow the highest BAC without dying.” I kid not.

Vodka Pong. If I ever have children they will turn 21 with the knowledge that you do not mess with hard liquor when playing drinking games. Who ever looked at a beer pong table and then looked at a bottle of Absolut and thought “hmm, that could be fun…” should not be allowed to drink ever again. One of three things will inevitably happens when these two forces of nature are combined: you will either 1) Lose the game (because there are no winners in Vodka Pong, 2) End up in the hospital, or 3) Wake up the next morning with sharpie on your face. None are fun endings.

Alcohol Shot Gun. I admit this looks incredibly fun, but for some inexplicable reason I fear for my eyes. I just have this knawing feeling that maybe your aim isn’t so good after being shot in the mouth with tequila a few dozen times. I also feel like the burning sensation of alcohol being shot into your cornea doesn’t feel so good. But that’s just my concern.

Drinkathlon. Like a decathlon but with drinking…  Get it? See above for reasons why college kids shouldn’t be trusted to mix sports and booze. Thats right hockey puck, I’m looking at you.

The Wine Rack. This isn’t dangerous per-say, but it did raise a lot of questions for me. What happens when you drink all the alcohol from your bra: does your rockin’ cleavage disappear? And what if this punctures and all that precious alcohol seeps into your brand new Forever 21 top? And, since it’s a sports bra, should I start drinking on the treadmill?

Flaming shots. Every time I see that video, I cringe and have to look away. No one should be trusted with alcohol and fire. No one.

Fire extinguishers. 

1. They are hot

2. They make your legs look hot

3. They fulfill every girls’ fantasy of being super fabulous, sexy and chic.

Why we hate high heels:

1. OhMyGodTheyHurtSoBad

2. They get caught in cracks, grates and vents.

3. They could get you mugged!

Yes, it’s true – wearing heels (no matter how great) could get you targeted by muggers looking for easy prey. Those people know that a woman in heels is a woman who can’t get away very quickly, which makes you the perfect target.

Are we telling you not to wear heels? Yeah right; that dress isn’t gonna look the same with a pair of Converse. Just be aware of your surroundings, avoid major shopping in stilettos (not that anyone’s feet could survive that, anyway), consider investing in a pair of these, and learn how to turn that shoe into a weapon. Those heels have to hurt.

“Historically there have only been two deaths worldwide attributed to cannabis, whereas alcohol and tobacco together are responsible for an estimated 150,000 deaths per annum in the UK alone.”

In fact, the only thing that makes pot a dangerous drug stems (haha, stems) from the fact that it isn’t legal: the crime that surrounds it, all that crazy sh*t people are lacing it with these days, etc. By making pot legal, people would be able to regulate it and keep it safe.

Not to mention stimulate the economy and create more jobs: people to grow it, people to sell it, people to regulate it, people to supply all the stoned kids with enough Cheez Its and Twinkies to get through the day…

Seriously, marijuana could keep this country from a depression! (And if it doesn’t, it could make the depression more bearable…or hilarious!)

Down with that dangerous alcohol!

Bring on the cannabis!

Jumping on the organic bandwagon a little late, I just discovered Kaia House, the foremost source for organic skin and beauty care. Kaia House focuses on banishing the use over of harmful petrochemicals, parabens and other skin offenders, and offers 20 lines of premium organic and natural products including celeb-trendy Osea, Perfect Organics, Red Flower, and Biotique.

But when it comes to beauty products, is going out of your way to buy organic really worth it? Absolutely, according to Kaia House. And after reading their extensive list of un-safe (and common) chemicals that should be avoided when purchasing beauty products, I think I’m a convert.

Read up on the dangers lurking in your makeup bag and then head to KaiaHouse.com for a more comprehensive list. Your skin will thank you!

In your facial cleanser: Petrochemicals

Check the ingredients for: Comidopropyl Betaine, Coco Betaine, PVP/VA Copolymer, and Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

Possible effects: eye impairment, intestinal damage, kidney and liver problems, breathing problems, cysts, skin spots, rashes and hair loss.

In your face cream: Polyethylene Glycol

Check the ingredients for: PEG-8, PEG-80 Glyceryl, Cocoate, Peroleate and PEG 15 Soyamide/IPDI Copolymer.

Possible effects: increased likelihood of leukemia, uterine, breast, and brain cancer.

In your hair spray: Phthalates

Check the ingredients for: Dimethylphthalate, Diethylphthalate, and Dibutylphthalate

Possible effects: premature sexual development in girls and increased child asthma rates. Phthalates have been linked to breast cancer since 1997.

In your foundation: Butylated Hydroxyanisole

Check the ingredients for: Butylated Hydroxyanisole and preservatives.

Possible effects: Used as an anti-oxidant preservative, Butylated Hydroxyanisole has been known to cause breast cancer tumors to multiply.