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

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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.

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A new study proves the care shown by “high-touch” moms in early childhood can lessen the risk of drug use by those children in later life.

Good news: Moms may have more control than they think over keeping their kids off drugs – and it starts in early childhood. A new study conducted by Duke University and the University of Adelaide in Australia seems to prove that an attentive, nurturing mother may be able to help her children better resist the temptations of drug use later in life.

The study was conducted on rats and showed that a rat mother’s attention in early childhood actually changes the immune response in the brains of her pups by permanently altering genetic activity, according to Staci Bilbo, an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke, who led the research. Interestingly enough, high-touch mothering increased the brain’s production of an immune system molecule called Interleukin-10, leaving these rats better able to resist the temptation of a dose of morphine much later in life.

This is the first study to show how morphine causes a molecular response in the glial cells of the brain’s reward centers, which had only recently been identified as part of drug addiction’s circuitry.

To find out what that response looked like, the researchers used a technique called the “handling paradigm,” in which very young rat pups are removed from their mother’s cage for 15 minutes and then returned. “As soon as they’re returned, she checks them out vigorously,” grooming the pups and cleaning them, Bilbo said. For a control group, another set of pups were never removed. Some of them had more attentive mothers than others, just by natural variation.

The animals then were put through a test called the “place preference chamber,” a two-roomed cage in which they would be given a dose of morphine if they entered one side, or a dose of saline on the other. Over the next four weeks, the rats were returned to the two-sided chamber three times a week for five minutes, but were never given another dose of morphine. Initially, they all showed a preference for the morphine side, but over time, the handled rats showed little preference, which indicated their craving had been “extinguished,” Bilbo said.

“Two exciting things have been uncovered by this groundbreaking research,” said coauthor Mark Hutchinson, a research fellow at the University of Adelaide. “One, we have proven a mother’s touch changes brain function and two, we have demonstrated an exciting way to intervene in the cycle of drug abuse.”

Next up, Bilbo’s team plans to look at the long-term effects of maternal stress on the brain’s immune response. They’ll be working with the Children’s Environmental Health Initiative at Duke, which examines real-world environmental health effects in Durham, NC in collaboration with the US Environmental Protection Agency.

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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Is the anti-anxiety drug a quick fix or a drain on resources? Some doctors are stopping prescriptions altogether to wean patients off the popular medication.

In recent years, doctors have seen a steady stream of patients seeking Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug prized for its swift calming effect. The clamor for the drug, and concern over the striking number of overdoses involving Xanax and the growing problem of prescription addiction, are leading some doctors to take the unusual step of limiting or stopping Xanax prescriptions altogether.

The drug, and its generic version, alprazolam, has steadily risen in popularity. While it has helped in some cases when used as prescribed, the widespread use of Xanax has also led to widespread prescription abuse for more than a decade. Those concerned about prescription addiction have focused largely on narcotic painkiller addiction, but benzodiazepines, the class of sedatives that includes Xanax, are also widely misused or abused, often with very negative consequences.

Alprazolam was the eighth most prescribed drug in the nation last year, according to SDI, a data firm that tracks drug sales. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year reported an 89 percent increase in emergency room nationwide related to nonmedical benzodiazepine use between 2004 and 2008.

In hopes of helping to limit the damage, some state- and federally-funded healthcare providers are cutting off prescriptions for controlled substances. Not everyone is on board, though. Other doctors say that refusing to prescribe certain drugs under any circumstance is overly rigid, noting that Xanax helps many people who use it responsibly.

Xanax Rehab

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New research shows that substance abuse is not a weakness of character or a choice but a clinical disease in need of professional treatment.

It’s official: the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has officially recognized that addiction is not solely related to substance misuse and is, in fact, a chronic brain disease.

For decades, addiction specialists and those battling substance abuse have had to fight against the stigma that addiction is some sort of character flaw or personal weakness. But experts have long known that “at its core, addiction isn’t just a social problem or a moral problem or a criminal problem. It’s a brain problem whose behaviors manifest in all these other areas,” ASAM Past President Michael Miller, MD, said in a news release.

“The disease is about brains, not drugs. It’s about underlying neurology, not outward actions,” added Dr. Miller, who oversaw the development of the new addiction definition.

This new definition of addiction was based on findings from brain circuitry studies prompted by more than 80 experts who came together four years ago to begin the process. Previous research has shown that addiction affects neurotransmission in the reward area of the brain, triggers craving of addictive behaviors based on memories of previous experiences, and alters areas that govern impulse control and judgment.

Addiction Definition

Highlights of the new definition include a description of addiction as a primary disease, which means “it’s not the result of other causes such as emotional or psychiatric problems.” ASAM also notes that addiction is a chronic condition, and so should be treated, managed and monitored over a lifetime. The new definition also acknowledges that the disease drives behaviors that others might not understand. It also makes clear that addiction is not a choice, even though choice plays an important role in getting help.

Experts hope this new definition will help decrease the stigma of addiction. By decreasing the stigma, treatment professionals believe it will lessen the barriers to individuals getting the help they need.

Drug Addiction

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