Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville is only the latest celeb to drink and say, “I do.” Should marriage license applications include a breathalyzer?

It’s illegal to drink and drive (thankfully!), but it’s still perfectly legal to drink and wed, as Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville proved while ringing in the New Year in Las Vegas.

Glanville, 38, tied the knot with her good friend Darin Harvey, a mixed martial arts manager. It’s a union she confirmed with multiple Twitter posts that seemed alcohol-fueled, to say the least.

“I’m married again – suuuuuuck it!” Glanville Tweeted, adding, “It wasn’t planned and we will handle it, but good times!” She also posted pics of the nuptials on the social media site. The newlyweds then headed to a strip club to celebrate.

By Monday, the alcohol had worn off and the groom tweeted it was just a “drunken BFF thing.” Glanville went further, denying the marriage was even legal and tweeting, “We were just having fun!”

Glanville was previously married to actor Eddie Cibrian, with whom she has two children. The couple divorced in late 2010 and Cibrian wed LeAnn Rimes in 2011.

Meanwhile, Irish singer Sinead O’Connor has been in the news for breaking off her 16-day marriage and then announcing later that the divorce was off. O’Connor married fourth husband Barry Herridge on Dec. 8 in a drive-through Vegas ceremony, and while wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision, the planned union turned sour that first night, according to O’Connor’s account in Britain’s Sun newspaper.

In the interview, O’Connor admits she went on a frantic hunt for cannabis on their wedding night. “We ended up in a cab in some place that was quite dangerous,” O’Connor is quoted as telling the Sun. “I wasn’t scared — but he’s a drugs counselor. What was I thinking?” The night only got worse from there. “Then I was handed a load of crack,” O’Connor continues. “Barry was very frightened — that kind of messed everything up a bit, really.”

But not long after deciding it was off, the two made up and decided it was back on. It is unclear whether or not the drug use will prove too much for the union, but it’s a variable that has been proven to cause rifts in relationships for others.

While adults are free to marry and divorce whomever they please, incidents like these (along with the quickie Vegas marriages of Britney Spears and Jason Allen Alexander, Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra, Nicky Hilton and Todd Meister) help make the case that heavy partying and lifelong commitment don’t mix well. Alcohol is a powerful drug that impairs not just motor function, but decision-making as well. You don’t need to have a substance abuse problem or be battling an alcohol addiction to be negatively affected by it, either.

Addiction Help at The Canyon

If you or someone you love needs help with alcohol abuse or drug addiction, call The Canyon at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

A tragic tale reminds us that drug runners come in all shapes and sizes, and the war to keep these substances from the addicted is far from won.

Parents can be a pain when it comes to lecturing about drugs, drinking or hanging out with the proverbial “wrong crowd.” But in the end, mom really does usually know best. In this case, not following that maternal advice may have led to a Colombian beauty queen’s downfall — and a prison sentence for drug trafficking.

It was a meteoric rise for Angie Sanclemente Valencia. From her humble beginnings in Barranquilla, Colombia, she became a beauty queen at 21, crowned Colombia’s “Queen of Coffee,” CNN reports. That title led to international modeling work and other opportunities.

Unfortunately, Sanclemente was dethroned when it was discovered she had been married. Reports tied her in matrimony to a Mexican drug trafficker, but she’s always denied that. In an interview shortly after the claims cost her the crown, Sanclemente lamented the consequences of not listening to the woman who raised her as single mother. “I’m very capricious and a lot of [bad] things have happened to me for not listening to my mother.”

If only she could have seen into the future, she might have made different choices. In May 2010, Sanclemente was arrested after five months on the run in Argentina and charged with drug trafficking. Interpol had issued an arrest warrant against her in December 2009 after she was connected to a 21-year-old woman who was arrested just before she was to board a flight to Cancun, Mexico, from Buenos Aires carrying a whopping 120 pounds of cocaine. The fallen beauty was on the run for five months, hiding in Argentina.

Sanclemente has continued to insist she is innocent and has maintained contact with CNN. Despite her protests, her 2010 arrest made headlines around the world, with the press rechristening the pageant winner “The Queen of Cocaine.” Four men and two other women were also arrested in connection with the case, including Sanclemente’s Argentinian boyfriend and his uncle.

Now 32 and sentenced to six years and eight months behind bars, Sanclemente is looking back with regret. She says moving to Argentina from Mexico was a big mistake. “I regret having taken the flight to Argentina, to be honest with you,” she told CNN.

It’s a stark reminder to those of us in the US that drug traffickers come in all shapes and sizes and the battle to keep dangerous substances out of the hands of individuals too addicted to stop taking them is far from over.

Drug Addiction Help at The Canyon

If you or someone you love needs help with drug addiction, call The Canyon at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about drug treatment, financing or insurance.

Prescription meds are killing three times more people as Rx abuse of drugs like OxyContin and Vicodin continue to skyrocket in the US. What’s behind the surge?

Prescription drug abuse remains rampant in the US, with pill mills and unethical doctors making it easy for addicts to get a quick – and legal – fix, as long as they have the cash. One of the tragic results of this rampant abuse of legal drugs is that overdose deaths from powerful painkillers have more than tripled in the past decade.

Prescription painkillers like OxyContin, Vicodin and methadone contributed to nearly 15,000 deaths in 2008. That’s more than three times the 4,000 deaths in 1999. Those troubling stats come from a new government report released by the CDC that illustrates the danger in big, clear numbers.

And the problem isn’t likely to go away anytime soon.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly five percent of Americans ages 12 and older say they’ve abused prescription painkillers. The study also
Shows that fatal overdoses were more likely in men and middle-aged adults.

Prescription Drug Rehab

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Miley Cyrus learned that substance abuse is no joking matter when her recent comments led to further speculation of drug use.

Parties are a time to let loose and not worry, right? That seems to be Miley Cyrus’ philosophy, but that attitude continues to get the young singer/actress into trouble. Last year, she was filmed smoking salvia from a bong as she celebrated turning 18. Now, the former Hannah Montana star caused a new drug-related controversy at her 19th birthday party last week.

The party was pretty tame by Hollywood standards — Miley marked the milestone with a bash hosted by Kelly Osbourne at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The trouble came when she was presented with a cake baked to look like reggae artist and famed marijuana aficionado Bob Marley. While the confection was likely a joke, Cyrus’ comments were anything but funny. She responded to the treat by saying, “This is amazing,” adding, “You know you’re a stoner when your friends make you a ‘Bob Miley’ cake. You know you smoke way too much f***ing weed.”

Adding to the problem, Osbourne then took the mic chime in with, “I thought salvia was your problem, Miley.”

While not aware that she was being filmed or that the comments made at a private party would get out, the girls were forced to do damage control after the fact. Osbourne took to Twitter to insist the whole thing was a joke, explaining that Cyrus’ friends started calling her “Bob Miley” after the salvia incident. Osbourne also lashed out at the individuals who sold the video footage in the first place.

Meanwhile, a rep for Cyrus responded by saying, “This is so ridiculous. The cake was a joke, and Miley was being sarcastic.”

Even if it was a joke, Osbourne, who is eight years Cyrus’ senior and has done several stints in rehab, should have known better. And Miley should have learned from the backlash last year. While she may be 19, she still has young fans who look up to her and aren’t able to discern a star’s sarcasm when it comes to drug use.

Unfortunately, Cyrus seems to have developed an even more blasé attitude toward drugs in the past year. Following the incident where she was recorded smoking salvia out of a bong at a party (FYI: salvia is a legal herb with hallucinogenic effects), the teen said, “It was a bad decision because of my fans and because of what I stand for.” Now, just a year later, she’s (purportedly) joking about being a stoner and not apologizing once her controversial comments went public. We’re not saying Cyrus has an issue with drugs, but after seeing the toll they have taken in Hollywood and beyond, she should be able to comprehend that addiction is no laughing matter — ever.

Drug Addiction

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Medical issues, not bad behavior, are more telling when it comes to addressing addiction and getting to the root of the problem.

So often, when reporting on celebs and addiction, the story focuses on bad behavior. Out-of-control starlets partying too hard and saying or doing thing that get caught on camera or result in a ride in the back of a cop car. What is more helpful – and certainly more insightful – is so to focus on the medical conditions and symptoms behind the bigger problem of substance abuse.

When entering a treatment program, the intake counselor gathers this sort of information to begin putting together a medical history that doctors and treatment specialists use to formulate a treatment plan.

As Linsday Lohan prepares for her Playboy spread, it’s easy to get caught up in debating the path she’s taking and whether her current decisions indicate she’s on the path to recovery. Instead, let’s look at the medical issues she has to overcome.

In doing an intake exam, Lohan should certainly mention ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. While she doesn’t actually suffer from this condition, she did receive a diagnosis at one time, probably along with a big bottle of Adderall. Use and abuse of this drug in those who don’t need it can have severe negative effects, including (ironically) hyperactivity and manic behavior. Could ADHD drugs be to blame for some of Lohan’s more outlandish behavior? Could a dependence on these drugs have led her to move on to “bigger and better” drugs?

Lohan has admitted to abusing drugs and alcohol, mainly cocaine. Cocaine provides a burst of energy that is favored by those looking to party into the night, and this would have made it an obvious next step for Lohan. The alcohol then acts as a depressant, allowing the user to come down from the cocaine high. It can also lead to DUI arrests, which Lohan has experienced on more than one occasion.

So we know what she’s been using, but why did Lohan start using in the first place? I very high percentage of people batting addiction have accompanying mental health issues. Often, they start using in an attempt to self-medicate or feel “normal,” even if they haven’t been professionally diagnosed or are aware they have a problem. Lohan was actually professionally diagnosed – with bipolar disorder – but it turned out to be inaccurate. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other mental issues plaguing Lindsay. PTSD, depression, anxiety and a host of other issues could contribute to her decision to turn to drugs. The stress of life in Hollywood would only exacerbate those issues.

It’s that very stress that likely caused Lohan to develop an eating disorder, like countless young celebs and celeb wannabes before her. Bulimia, which consists of bingeing and then purging (or throwing up), leads to malnutrition and causes damage to your teeth and mouth. It’s an extreme disorder than begins with the desire to be thin or attractive, but usually relates more to a desire for control (pros will tell you eating disorders are rarely ever really about food). Lohan has received treatment for her bulimia, and seems to be on top of it, but sometimes dealing with one addiction can lead to the development of another if the underlying emotional issues aren’t fully addressed. That’s why it’s common for food addicts to begin abusing alcohol or turning to shopping or sex as a new outlet. It’s a danger than anyone in recovery knows they need to be aware of.

One of Lohan’s few medical conditions that doesn’t directly relate to substance abuse is asthma. While it’s severe enough that it’s led to hospitalization in the past, it doesn’t affect addiction issues, except that by not taking care of her physical health, it makes her more susceptible to asthma attacks.

Drug Treatment

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Experts are still trying to make sense of a new study that shows those with high IQs are two to three times more likely to take illegal drugs.

A new UK study has produced some interesting findings. It appears that people with high IQs are more likely to smoke marijuana and take other illegal drugs, compared with those who score lower on intelligence tests. It would seem that those who are smart enough to know better would show higher instances of abstaining, but when it comes to drugs, that’s just not true.

“It’s counterintuitive,” says lead author James White of the Center for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement at Cardiff University in Wales. “It’s not what we thought we would find.”

The research was part of a much larger study that has spanned decades. The findings are based on interviews with some 7,900 British people born in early April 1970. Researchers measured the participants IQs at ages 5 and 10, then followed up with them at ages 16 and 30, asking about symptoms of psychological distress and drug use as part of a larger survey.

Researchers found that by age 30, approximately 35 percent of men and 16 percent of women said they had smoked marijuana at least once in the previous year. Over that same time period, 9 percent of men and 4 percent of women said they had taken cocaine. Previous-year drug users tended to have scored higher on IQ tests than non-users.

The IQ effect was a big factor in women, with ultra-smart members of the fairer sex proving to be three times more likely to have tried drugs and high-IQ men twice as likely. And these results held even when researchers controlled for factors like socioeconomic status and psychological distress, which are also correlated with rates of drug use.
So why might smarter kids be more likely to try drugs? “People with high IQs are more likely to score high on personality scales of openness to experience,” says White. “They may be more willing to experiment and seek out novel experiences.”

Another factor could be that the messages used to attempt to deter teens from drug use — particularly during the 1980s in the UK when the study group was in adolescence — weren’t exactly known for the subtlety of their reasoning, so they may not have targeted the smarter group well.

Drug Rehab

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A teen football player dies of an apparent overdose and four more teens face charges for contributing to his death, allowing drugs to ruin five young lives.

The death of the teenage son of a retired NFL quarterback by apparent overdose is tragedy enough. Now, four more teen boys face charges as a result.

The event happened in Southern California, where 18-year-old Griffen Kramer, a high school quarterback and son of Erik Kramer, who played for the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, died of an apparent drug overdose, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Kramer was found dead October 30, 2011, in a friend’s bedroom in the Orange County city of Agoura Hills. That friend, David Nernberg, 19, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance, authorities said. After further investigating into apparent narcotics-related activities, police also charged Corey Baumann, 19, with involuntary manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance for sales. The two other teenagers were also charged, but since they are minors, their names weren’t released by the Sherriff’s office.

Kramer, a 6-foot 210-pound senior, played quarterback at Thousand Oaks High School.

Police allege that Griffen, Nernberg and a juvenile met at Sumac Park in Agoura Hills on October 29 and drove to a nearby cul-de-sac, where Griffen injected narcotics, causing him to instantly become ill and unconscious. Law enforcement then believes that Nernberg dragged the unconscious Griffen into his car and drove him around the area. Nernberg then made several calls, trying to find a friend’s house to go to, but allegedly was turned down because the friends’ parents were home, police said. Instead Nernberg allegedly took a still unconscious Griffen to Nernberg’s own home and didn’t seek medical attention for his desperately ill friend until the next morning when Griffen was still unconscious, authorities alleged.

Investigators believe Griffen likely died from an overdose, but they are still awaiting toxicology results. Meanwhile, one teen boy’s life is over and four others are changed forever.

Drug Rehab

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