'Sixth Sense' star charged with DUI

[WTGH]

LMFAO!

He hasn't shown since of life un quite some time. Since Second-Hand Lions... 2003?

[JER Soaps Fan]

I don't think so. He's not the first person to get drunk and say stupid, even racist things. And I'm in the news industry so I can tell you for a fact that this wouldn't make any page in the paper if it were an Average Joe. The fact that he's Mel makes it a sin and a headline. So I really think it's the same ball game. Mel should also be absolved of his indiscretions.

[Keith]

Yeah, well, I'm not very agreeable to people I know for getting drunk and saying offensively stupid things, either, so yeah, it's a bit different!

[Matt]

Keep in mind that he blew a .05. That's *below* the legal limit in most states. The only reason it is considered DUI in *this* case is because he's only 18 (below the legal drinking age). Another thing to keep in mind is that something as simple as mouthwash or a strong cologne can make you register on a breathalizer even if you haven't had a drop to drink. IMO, too many people are rushing to pass judgement.

[JER Soaps Fan]

Hmm, that's interesting Matt.

If authorities can somehow prove that Haley Joel in fact didn't have alcohol (as an underaged teenager) then I'll forgive him and take back any judgments I passed on him.

If they can't, however, I think we should just chalk this up to another bright mind-gone-wrong.

[alwaysAMC]

I thought he was charged with Marajuana possession too though - which is why I am taken aback.

[JER Soaps Fan]

OMG, is that true? If it is, I am SO ready to verbally crucify this punk!

[KBT]

A little pot smoking never hurt anyone, but driving drunk is a no no, even though .05 is not anywhere near drunk.

[Marilyn_M]

Oh wow! He smokes pot. What a shocker! The world is going to end folks!

[KBT]

Thats how I feel and honestly my mom couldnt function without it. She has a lot of an*iety and smoking helps her out tremendously.

[Marilyn_M]

If he wants to smoke pot, let him. It's his business. I'm just tired of celebs being treated as if they can do no wrong and if they do, all hell breaks loose. Let them be. So he got caught. Hell, [!@#$%^&*] happens and now he has to deal with that.

[Bree]

JSF, you're such a drama queen.

Is it disappointing that someone of Haley's talent is now drinking and smoking pot? Of course.

But have you stopped and realized that maybe all this is a result of being a child star and having to act like a mini-adult for 10 years of his childhood? Stop with your over-the-top conservative viewpoints for 5 seconds and THINK about other factors than wanting to put him on a cross.

If you were in charge, everyone would be dead and Earth would just be populated by four-legged creatures.

[JER Soaps Fan]

I would kill nobody, Bree. I would just hope that we could scare him -- and others -- straight. Take the placards, for instance. It's peaceful protest. What's the harm in that?

Anyway, I'm sympathetic if he was driven to drugs and alcohol, but that doesn't mean we should turn a blind eye. How will he learn?

[KBT]

Scare others straight, there is nothing wrong with an occasional joint IMO. No one goes and kills someone when smoking pot. I honestly believe pot should be legalized. However, driving while drinking is something I am very much against.

[JER Soaps Fan]

Wow, I so disagree with that.

TV and film really portray these drugs in a positive light, but yes, even a puff, is DEADLY.

Taken from the National Institute on Drug Abuse Web site:

"One study has indicated that an abuser's risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana. The researchers suggest that such an effect might occur from marijuana's effects on blood pressure and heart rate and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood."

...

"A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers8. Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses."

...

" Even infrequent abuse can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency to obstructed airways. Smoking marijuana possibly increases the likelihood of developing cancer of the head or neck. A study comparing 173 cancer patients and 176 healthy individuals produced evidence that marijuana smoking doubled or tripled the risk of these cancers."

Conclusion?

Marijuana is not harmless.

(And that's a gross understatement).

Now, where were we?

Oh yes...designing those placards!