By Nick Galvin
Miley Cyrus is being investigated by Dutch health authorities for violating a smoke-free zone after apparently lighting up a joint onstage.
In the latest in a series of attention-seeking stunts, the 20-year-old took what appeared to be a half-smoked cannabis cigarette from her bag and smoked it during the MTV European Music Awards live show at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome. It's unclear whether she inhaled.
‘‘We received complaints about smoking which was also seen on television. We have to investigate,’’ Tjitte Mastenbroek of the National Food and Consumer Authority said. ‘‘We will shortly be meeting the Ziggo Dome’s management to check what exactly happened there.’’
Cyrus, 20, was accepting the best video award for her hit single Wrecking Ball.
Although cannabis is technically still illegal in the Netherlands, the country decriminalised possession of less than five grams in 1976.
Mastenbroek said the consumer watchdog was investigating why Cyrus lit up in a smoke-free area.
‘‘There is a smoking ban in public places in the Netherlands. Employees have the right to a smoke-free environment and this includes camera and sound personnel,’’ he said.
‘‘After meeting the Ziggo Dome’s management we will decide whether possible steps will be taken.’’
Later, Cyrus added fuel to the controversy, tweeting: “So much fun last night! Amsterdam you're the dopesssst thank you for always being so good to me” and “last night was a blurrrrrrrrrrrrrrr”.
Ziggo Dome spokesman Danni Damman said Cyrus’ lighting up ‘‘caught us by surprise. It’s not easy to interfere in a moment like that’’.
MTV heavily edited the incident when it later broadcast the awards in the US, winning rare praise from right-wing censorship group Parents Television Council.
“Last night MTV made a responsible decision and they executed it perfectly,” said PTC President Tim Winter. “We applaud MTV for taking responsible actions to eliminate the drug use from its US broadcast, and we urge them to make that a uniform policy for all of its programming.”
With AFP