Ozzy Says He Now Believes Pot Leads To Other Addictions

MTV ^ | 07.08.2003 | Robert Mancini, with reporting by Gideon Yago

[presidio9]

Ozzy Osbourne may have weathered the lowest lows that drug addiction has to offer, but the news that his son Jack was seeking treatment for substance abuse taught him a lesson that his own decades of addiction never did.

"I used to think they should legalize pot, but you know what? They should ban the lot," Osbourne told MTV News, addressing Jack's battle for the first time. "One thing leads to another. Coffee leads to Red Bull, Red Bull leads to crank.

"When I found out the full depth of him getting into OxyContin, which is like hillbilly heroin, I was shocked and stunned," Osbourne continued. "The thing that's amazing was how rapidly he went from smoking pot to doing hillbilly heroin."

Ozzy's son entered a California rehabilitation facility in April to battle what was later revealed to be an addiction to the prescription painkiller OxyContin (see "Jack Osbourne Reveals He Was Addicted To Painkiller OxyContin"). Jack also said that he was drinking and using a variety of substances — including Vicodin, Valium, Xanax, Dilaudid, Lorcet, Lortab, Percocet and marijuana — before his trip to rehab (see "Rehab Helps Jack Osbourne Get To Root Of Addiction Problems").

Jack's laundry list of controlled substances made his father painfully aware of just how readily available drugs are. "When I started doing drugs years ago, they were hard to get, but today it's everywhere," Osbourne said. "It's not just America. It's not just California. It's not just Beverly Hills. It's not just downtown New York. It's not just London. It's all over the world" (see "All About OxyContin, The Pills Known As 'Killers' ").

This relatively easy access to allegedly "controlled" substances is especially hard for Ozzy to swallow given his firsthand experience with the damage that drugs can do.

"I'm 55 years old, and I didn't get off scot-free," Osbourne explained. "I have to take medication for the rest of my life because I've done so much neurological damage to my body," Osbourne said.

We'll have much more from our interviews with Ozzy and Jack in an "MTV News Now" special report, premiering Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Jack's complete interview will appear on MTVNews.com when the show premieres). The show will be followed the next day by a repeat of MTV News' "True Life: I'm Hooked on OxyContin" at 6:30 p.m.

[toothless]

Provide evidence for your claim. lol.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

the dealers would be operating storefronts and paying taxes

Tax advocates should use this line.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I suspect he has Parkinsons... but I don't know what medications this would involve.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

What would Ozzy Osbourne know about drug abuse anyway?

He would be effective in anti-drug advertisements, if he was so inclined.

[TheMole]

From Teenmusic.com

Ozzy: I Should Have Been Stricter With Jack

July 5, 2003

Wildman rocker Ozzy Osbourne has blamed his and wife Sharon's parenting skills for their son Jack's drug addiction problem, which saw him undergo rehabilitation earlier this year. The former Black Sabbath frontman - who's eccentric family became worldwide stars in reality TV show The Osbournes - believes his and Sharon's failure to be a stricter parent is to blame for his teenage son's problems. He says, "The mistake that Sharon and I both made, and we both agree on this, is we never set any boundaries. "We never said, 'You must be in the house by a certain time ..."

[JakeWyld]

You're the only one on this thread saying that.

So far no libertarian has come forward and said any such thing.

[toothless]

No, don't blame the parents, blame the inanimate objects!

Personal responsibility my ass, more like SOCIALISM.

heh

[JakeWyld]

re: 51

It is much easier to prove oneself right when there is a fictional bad guy with whom to spar.

[John Lenin]

The truth comes out !

[JakeWyld]

re: 102

I'm smeared first on this thread.

I come to defend myself and remind everyone that just because I'm libertarian doesn't mean I use drugs.

Now that I am defending myself I'm engaged in "tearing you a new one".

please explain.

[cinFLA]

Watch how people who have derided treated him for years as a bloomin' idiot hero suddenly treat him as authoritative boomin' idiot. It's magic!

[Xenalyte]

Ozzy also said, "One thing leads to another. Coffee leads to Red Bull, Red Bull leads to crank."

Are you gonna let that slide to advance your blindly biased agenda? If so, you have lost your credibility, and you can STFU.

I have no patience to play with you tonight.

[Xenalyte]

Jack also said that he was drinking and using a variety of substances — including Vicodin, Valium, Xanax, Dilaudid, Lorcet, Lortab, Percocet and marijuana — before his trip to rehab (see "Rehab Helps Jack Osbourne Get To Root Of Addiction Problems").

Would you allege that if it were not for marijuana, Jack would never have tried all the PRESCRIPTION drugs that were in his house due to Ozzy's broken foot?

C'mon and make an ass out of yourself. We're waiting.

[Xenalyte]

Do you allege that without trying marijuana, Jack would NEVER have decided to delve into Ozzy's and Sharon's medicine cabinet? (My earlier post failed to account for Sharon's cancer drugs.)

[gracex7]

There are a lot of things that we do to ourselves that we don't want to see someone we love do. I'm sorry for Ozzy and Sharon that it took their son becoming an addict for them to realize what their actions have wrought.

And in reply to the person who asked what Jim Morrison would say, my guess is that you wouldn't be able to comprehend the words over the howling and gnashing of teeth.

[FreedomCalls]

That he admits that his and Saron's lack of discipline is part of the problem is testament to his character. Good on 'em!

[CWOJackson]

LOL. Good list but you forgot Bushbot.

[Tall_Texan]

He jumped past "Bushbot" with "Socialist". That's what made it so impressive.

[toothless]

Bushbot isn't one of my standard ad hominems. I stick with the previously posted list. with the exception of 'jackbooted liberal' before 'nazi'