If NICOLE RICHIE suffers a dangerous drug relapse, there will be one particular person to blame – her hubby, says top doc.
Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden was tossed out of an Australian hotel on June 9 after an employee allegedly found a small amount of pot in his room, and experts warn that his careless behavior is putting his wife’s hard-won sobriety in serious jeopardy.
“A spouse can lead their spouse back into addictive behavior,” says Dr. Brian Shaw, drug abuse expert and author of “Addiction and Recovery for Dummies,” who does not treat either Nicole or Joel.
“If you have had a past problem with drug abuse, it makes it much riskier to associate with people who are continuing to use drugs.”
Joel, who married the “Fashion Star” mentor in December 2010, admitted on Tumblr: “A hotel employee found a small bit of marijuana in my hotel room. The police were called and responded.”
While Aussie authorities are not pursuing charges against the 34-year-old rocker, a spokesman from the hotel confirmed that he was “ejected from the hotel…In Australia, there is zero tolerance for this, no matter who you are.”
As The ENQUIRER has reported extensively in the past, Nicole, 31, struggled with substance abuse problems for years. She has admitted to using alcohol at 13, cocaine at 14, and heroin when she was 19.
She’s done stints in rehab and had run-ins with the law, including several arrests for DUI, driving with a revoked license and heroin possession.
Ironically, hubby Joel played a big part in helping her clean up her act, and the mother of two – daughter Harlow, 5, and son, Sparrow, 3 – has been sober for several years.
But now, an expert warns, his behavior is putting her in danger of a relapse. “We usualy discourage someone with an addiction problem to return to a spouse who is using drugs,” Dr. Shaw added.
“It’s like someone with diabetes, who has to manage their sugar intake and insulin, but they are living with someone who eats candy and cake. It’s much too tempting. If you are in recovery, you are still vulnerable, and you don’t need the temptation of having drugs around.
“It easily can cause a relapse.”
