Her first time was in the 10th grade, Erin Miller said. Before long, Miller, University College freshman, was doing it a few times a week. All the other girls at school were, too.

"Before a dance or prom there was no question about doing it," Miller said. "There's definitely something addictive about it."

Miller isn't talking about drugs or binge drinking. She was talking about tanning.

Jokes about "tanorexia" have circulated through OU dorm rooms and greek houses for years, but new research suggests some people could truly be addicted to tanning.

A study conducted at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston surveyed sunbathers at a Texas beach using recognized criteria for assessing drug and alcohol addiction. The findings, published in the August 2005 issue of the Archives of Dermatology, suggest that up to 53 percent of sunbathers could be addicted to tanning.

The 145 participants were asked questions about their tanning habits such as, "Is tanning the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning?" And, "Do you try to cut down on the time you spend in the sun but still find yourself sun-tanning?"

Dermatologist Richard Wagner, who led the study, said he got the idea for the project after treating skin cancer patients who continued to tan after diagnosis.

"I'd tell these people, 'You've got to stop tanning,' and they'd tell me that they couldn't," Wagner said.

"It suggests that tanning is sort of a complex behavior," Wagner said. "There is more to it than just looking good."

Since the findings of the study were published, Wagner has already received an e-mail from a man who claims to be "the greatest tanning addict ever," Wagner said. "This is something that has occupied his life for years and years."

Miller began to tan more frequently in high school when she started working at Nu Tan, a now-closed tanning salon in Plano, Texas. Miller said she was encouraged to tan before work because it was good for business.

"They want people to say to you 'Oh, you look really good,'" Miller said. "They want people to ask 'What lotion, what bed are you using?'"

Miller said she was put off by patrons who tanned everyday at Nu Tan.

"Your body reaches a plateau where you can't get any more tan," Miller said. "But people keep going. That's why I think it must be addictive."

Laura Cronin, anthropology sophomore, has observed the addictive qualities of tanning at OU. The popularity of tanning on campus prompted her to start the Facebook group "I love Tanning!" at Facebook.com.

Cronin describes herself on the group's Web page as "the golden bronze goddess of the tanning bed." This group for obsessive tanners at OU has attracted 17 members so far.

The "I love Tanning!" Web page describes attraction of tanning: "Let's face it...being tan is an addiction... we love it and don't ever want to stop!"

The group began partially as a joke and partially as a serious comment on the culture of college tanning, Cronin said.

"It all started last year. My suite-mate and I would go tanning almost every day, and there would be all these girls there," Cronin said. "We'd have to wait in line to tan it would be so crowded. We joked that we were addicted."

Like Miller, Cronin began tanning in high school for her junior prom in Blackwell. She liked tanning because of the relaxation time it allowed her.

"They have music and it's warm like the beach," Cronin said. "I usually fall asleep."

Relaxation, as well as a healthy golden glow, is part of the attraction of tanning for many college students, said tanning salon owner and OU alumnus Paul Rudnicki.

Rudnicki said that while tanning gives people a natural high, he doesn't believe it is psychologically addictive.

"It had been proven that it puts you in a better mood," Rudnicki said. "You look good and feel better about yourself; maybe that is addictive."

OU students flock to Rudnicki's salon, Sandy Beaches, at 1121 Elm Ave., because of its close proximity to the dorms and greek houses, he said. Students can purchase a school year's worth of unlimited tanning for $100.

Some students pay a visit to the salon every day, Rudnicki said. He said that while it is important for patrons to tan in moderation, he can't keep his patrons from chasing after their dreams of the perfect dark bronze complexion.

"It's our job to give you recommendations and guidelines," Rudnicki said. "But in the end, it's their choice."

Darla Buckner, owner of The Sun Room at 239 34th Ave., said business picks up for her tanning salon when classes at OU begin in the fall. Fifty-three percent of her patrons are between the ages of 15 and 25, she said.

"We focus on a clean, relaxing environment," Buckner said. "I don't think tanning is addictive at all."

Cronin said she had cut back on her tanning recently because of her hectic school and work schedule. For Miller, it took a frightening wake-up call for her to curtail her tanning habit.

Last year Miller's mother found melanoma spots on her arms, the result of heredity and a lifetime in the sun.

Miller no longer worked at Nu Tan, but she immediately canceled her membership to another Plano tanning salon. Her mother had the spots removed, and survived, but Miller and her family now frequently check themselves for suspicious-looking marks and moles on their skin, she said.

"Old people who tan don't look good anyway," Miler said. "Their skin looks awful."
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