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.

[lugsoul]

It is not about alcohol. It is about consistency. Which you apparently think is unimportant in the application of criminal laws.

[ActionNewsBill]

My suggestion to all of you wackos is that you leave alcohol out of the argument. No matter how you try to lasso it, it does not help your cause.

Maybe you should try to rephrase your statement something like this:

"Marijuana is the flame, heroin is the fuse, LSD is the bomb. So don't you try to equate liquor to marajuana, Mister, not with me.

You may be able to sell that jazz to another pothead, but not to somebody who holds some sick kid's head while he vomits and wretches on a curbstone at 4:00 in the morning."

Because that's pretty much what your "argument" boils down to.

[presidio9]

Right... So then, when it becomes legal to sell pot to pushers, but not to the kids who buy it from them, then all the pushers are just going to change careers and stop selling to kids. OK. I get it now. Quick: Legalize drugs.

Have you ever followed a conceptual scenario to its logical conclusion?

[Protagoras]

Wrong, it was posted to this forum, by you.

[presidio9]

The laws are full of inconsistencies. The idea that society will be somehow more just if we legalize yet another damaging controlled substance is goofy. There's just no other word for it.

[Xenalyte]

What's that from? Read aloud, it sounds like Dragnet, and nets me some curious looks from co-workers.

[Xenalyte]

I'm too busy explaining the real world to you confused stoners here.

Or perhaps you don't want to read anything that would contradict your views.

[presidio9]

Um I never said most of the things you itallicized. Please put the bong down before you post.

[presidio9]

Um I never said most of the things you itallicized. Please put the bong down before you post.

[jmc813]

No, liberaltarians sound like their fellow leftists at the ACLU when in comes to drug legalization:

Is Bob Barr a leftist?

[Xenalyte]

I think I get set off too easily . . . my blood pressure is higher than it should be at ten in the morning. But that may have to do with all the amazingly legal caffeine I've ingested. (I can't wait to report back on my crack-whore status, which is clearly imminent considering I drink four or five Diet Cokes a day.)

[ActionNewsBill]

Read aloud, it sounds like Dragnet,...

Just use your best "Joe Friday" voice.

[Xenalyte]

need much more coffee this morning.......

You are so WEAK! You'll end up being a crack whore like me if you don't switch to Sprite!

[presidio9]

Or perhaps you don't want to read anything that would contradict your views.

That's a laugh. Look who's talking.

I'd love to see you heads come up with a legitimate reason for legalizing drugs. You don't have one.

[Xenalyte]

Check your post 247.

[Xenalyte]

I'm still waiting for you to apologize for the abominable abortion accusation you leveled a few posts ago. Take it back NOW.

[presidio9]

There you go again with your mantra: "Alcohol is bad. Legalize drugs."

[Xenalyte]

I'd love to see you heads come up with a legitimate reason for legalizing drugs. You don't have one.

Good God almighty. That's why I sent you to the thread you're so studiously ignoring - it explains (or would, if you'd take the time to read it) that there are no harmful effects.

Lord forbid you have to think. Have some more coffee. Or no, wait, don't. Ozzy says it's a gateway drug.

[KEVLAR]

More nonsense, you have not responded to most of the posts that outline the reasons.
Perhaps you are too drunk to see straight?

[MrLeRoy]

So then, when it becomes legal to sell pot to pushers, but not to the kids who buy it from them, then all the pushers are just going to change careers and stop selling to kids.

Correct, as they'll then have the potential loss of their legal adult market to disincentivize them from selling to kids. Glad you're finally catching on.