Apparently back in the day (I’m going to intentionally leave it vague like that), the groovy thing to do was smoke banana peels. All it involves is 10 or 200 pounds of bananas (depending on what source you read), a microwave (or the sun), methylene chloride, ether, and avoiding strychnine (which is apparently in a fungicide put on the peels of bananas). The general consensus is that this is all a myth and smoking banana peels doesn’t really get you high, which I’m going to believe. Mostly because, according to the Daily Star, Amy Winehouse has started smoking them – and if Wino tries it, it must be garbage.

AMY Winehouse went bananas in St Lucia on a fruit bender, or rather a bendy fruit. The human cocktail shaker, 25, is getting her five-a-day through her latest vice of smoking banana peel. Caribbean locals taught our favourite fruitcake the art of mellow yellow highs.

Our giggling grocer explained: “Amy wandered onto a private porch on Cariblue Beach and got chatting to a group of locals who were smoking banana skin.

“She made sure there wasn’t anything really bad in them because she’s being so good now.

“They made one in front of her using dried strings from the inside of the peel instead of tobacco, and putting it onto a Rizla. She loved it and has taken to drying her own peel in the sun and smoking it in the evening.”

The alternative spliffs have been keeping the star chipper because a compound called tryptophan inside them increases the levels of serotonin in the body, having the same effect as Prozac.

La Wino has always been a keen evangelist for the phallic snack, and revealed her favourite food is banana sandwiches sprinkled with crisps. She was regularly photographed running through the streets of London last year, cradling bunches of them. But this is the only habit she has now.

[From the Daily Star]

What an amazing load of crap. The “mellow yellow” thing has long been acknowledged as a hoax. If this story is true, I think the Caribbean locals are pulling one over on Winehouse. Then again, if she thinks she’s getting high and isn’t using other, dangerous things as a result… what’s the harm? In that case, I take it all back. Amy, bananas will give you the most insane high you’ve ever experienced. In fact, you should smoke nothing but banana skins for the rest of your life. Maybe a plantain, if you’re in a jocular sort of mood. This is the drug for you. Go on a banana bender. Just watch the sugar.

Here’s Amy riding horses in St. Lucia at sunset yesterday. Images thanks to Fame Pictures .