By April MacIntyre Dec 11, 2010, 18:26 GMT
Imagine you had a career as a child on television, and then the normal process of growing up was under the bug light constantly.
Growing up - Miley Cyrus - 2010 American Music Awards - Arrivals - Nokia Theatre L.A. Live - Los Angeles, CA, USA © C2C / Todd Duffey / PR Photos
Disney star and singer Miley Cyrus is making mistakes and learning the hard way her path to adulthood is top-shelf fodder for tabloids, and ripe for dissection in public opinion.
The teen was videotaped smoking Salvia, a legal psychedelic herb, in a clip on TMZ.com.
Cyrus' usage of Salvia in her Los Angeles area home five days after she turned 18 is seen as sending the wrong message to impressionable teens, as the herb has dangerous and unknown consequences for many users.
Salvia is unpredictable with each user and is a hallucinatory, mind-altering drug that can be lethal.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration website has this to say, "due to salvia's hallucinogenic effects, there is a substantial risk of injury or death as a result of impaired judgment due to disruptions of sensory and cognitive functions."
Salvia usage has historical roots in Mexico and South America, and was used by Curanderos to help them fall into trances.
Cyrus has been rushing to adulthood in various baby scandals where naughty photos of her in risque poses have turned up in tabloids, as the Disney star transitions out of her teen years. During the wrap party for "Last Song," then 16-year-old Cyrus was criticized for giving her 44-year-old 'Last Song' director Adam Shankman a lap dance.
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