Miley Cyrus sparks new row smoking 'joint' on stage at MTV Europe Video Music Awards

The Wrecking Ball singer has stirred up trouble once again by appearing to smoke cannabis at the MTV Europe Music Awards
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Kiran Randhawa12 November 2013
The Weekender

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Miley Cyrus was condemned by anti-drugs campaigners as “irresponsible” today after appearing to smoke a joint on stage.

As she collected the best video award for her song Wrecking Ball, she took what looked like a spliff from her handbag, saying: “I couldn’t fit this award in my purse but I did find this,” before flicking a lighter and smoking it.

Cyrus, 20, opened last night’s event at the Ziggo Dome with a performance in which she wore a silver spandex leotard and “twerked” with a female dwarf.

Influence: the gang leader said Miley Cyrus apparently smoking cannabis on stage made an impression on children
REUTERS/Remko De Waal

David Raynes, spokesman for the National Drug Prevention Alliance, accused the singer of “reinforcing drug use as a reasonable way of life”.

He said her behaviour was especially worrying as she had a young fan base: “It is irresponsible. The people she is targeting with her performance are much more vulnerable to the effects of marijuana. We know from research that cannabis use has more of an effect on the younger brain than the brain of a more mature person.

“By doing this on stage she is making it a more acceptable lifestyle choice.”

Lucy Dawe, of anti-drug’s group Cannabis Skunk Sense, called for Cyrus to be “dealt with” by the law. She added: “We are getting more and more of these high-profile people flouting the law and nothing seems to be done.

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - NOVEMBER 10: Miley Cyrus performs onstage during the MTV EMA's 2013 at the Ziggo Dome on November 10, 2013 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for MTV)

“She is a bad role model to the young people who look up to her. It is highly irresponsible. We are now at a stage where we are normalising the use of cannabis, which has horrendous implications, especially for teenagers.” In August a scantily-clad Cyrus “twerked” during a performance at an MTV awards ceremony in Las Vegas, drawing criticism from parents’ groups.

Last week Lady Gaga revealed she became hooked on cannabis and had smoked up to “15 joints a day”. The singer sparked uproar after smoking a joint at the same Amsterdam venue last year. She said she smoked the drug to help numb the pain of her hip injury which forced her to cancel the remainder of her Born This Way Ball tour.

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