Dispatch audio of Spears' arrest reveals that, as with the incident in October, she was seen driving her black BMW convertible, swerving in and out of lanes on the freeway, as well as speeding. Starting at about 8:13 p.m. the California Highway Patrol sent all units to respond and pursued her for nearly an hour.
For decades, my colleagues and I advanced the premise that early substance use-nicotine, alcohol, or cannabis (or other addicting drugs)-interferes with critical maturation stages, particularly adolescence. Some questioned the science behind these premises, while others said it was propaganda from people disapproving of drugs like cannabis to justify their views. Despite this, clinicians often conveyed the cautionary: "The adolescent brain is still developing," or "Drugs hurt the teenage brain."
A relatively large body of research suggests that women who struggle with body image and eating issues are likely to abuse substances ( Bahji et al., 2019; Robinson, Walter, Deane, & Larance, 2023). For example, in a recent retrospective chart review of 182 women in treatment for an eating disorder, MacNeil and colleagues (2025) found that 34.6 percent reported using substances, with alcohol and over-the-counter (OTC) medications being most common.
Queer spaces have long been tied to nightlife culture, born from necessity in bars and clubs where safety and community were first found. But what started as a sanctuary has, for some, become a source of harm. As rates of addiction, relapse, and overdose climb across the LGBTQ+ population, we must reckon with an uncomfortable truth: celebration shouldn't come at the cost of our lives.
Although the decreasing prevalence of substance use among adolescents is encouraging, the decline is not as significant among teens experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors, as compared to their peers.
