Whiskey's for drinkin' and water's for fightin' over. As it turns out, gasoline's also for drinking, according to one petroleum-swilling teenager. The girl, interviewed recently for the TLC show "My Strange Addiction," has consumed more than five gallons over the last year.


Top put that in perspective — it's enough gas to drive a Honda Civic from New York City to Baltimore.

"Even though it hurts me, it makes me feel good," the Welland, Ontario teen, named Shannon, told TLC, adding that it tingles, then burns the back of her throat. She admitted to drinking up to 12 teaspoons per day of a substance that, other than doing a great job propelling cars, trucks and lawnmowers, is agreed by most (sane) medical experts to be highly toxic to the human body.


Under normal circumstances, the health impacts of petroleum are discussed in terms of skin exposure or groundwater contamination. While hydrocarbon spill cleanups and groundwater contamination are a big deal near the sites of old service stations nationwide, Shannon's level of exposure is something altogether different. The New York State Department of Health website says that drinking straight gasoline can cause burns, diarrhea, vomiting, and in larger amounts, drowsiness or death.

When I was in 7th grade, some deadbeat came into our health class and told us about how he used to huff gasoline all the time. He had bags under his eyes, wore a ripped, smelly jean jacket and has been burned into my memory as of one of the biggest losers of all time. And he wasn't even drinking the stuff. I'm no psychiatrist, but I suspect that Shannon has mental problems. If she doesn't have them already, the gasoline will undoubtedly grease the ol' skids. Let's just hope for her sake that she doesn't smoke.

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Watch the full clip from TLC above.