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.

[presidio9]

The legalize drugs logic employs exaclty the same logic as the legalize abortion logic. I apologize for nothing.

[presidio9]

Wrong. There will always be pushers selling to kids. In your world they will just have easier access to their supply.

[MrLeRoy]

The laws are full of inconsistencies.

Shouldn't we do what we can to minimize them? Your argument seems to boil down to, "But, Ma, all the other kids are doing it!"

[ActionNewsBill]

Um I never said most of the things you itallicized.

So you didn't say most of them, but you did say some of them? You're probably just too drunk to remember saying them.

Please put the bong down before you post.

Sorry I'm at work....I don't even own a bong anyways.

[jmc813]

I'm confused. Which do you think is worse for the user, alcohol or pot?

[MrLeRoy]

I can't wait to report back on my crack-whore status

Give us a call before you become emaciated and lose your teeth.

[Helms]

When dealing with intransigents like you do, just remember to call on our friend, Black Hole Sun:

Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden

In my eyes

Indisposed

In disguise

As no one knows

Hides the face

Lies the snake

The sun

In my disgrace

Boiling heat

Summer stench

'Neath the black

The sky looks dead

Call my name

Through the cream

And I'll hear you

Scream again

Black hole sun

Won't you come

And wash away the rain

Black hole sun

Won't you come

Won't you come

Stuttering

Cold and damp

Steal the warm wind

Tired friend

Times are gone

For honest men

And sometimes

Far too long

For snakes

In my shoes

A walking sleep

And my youth

I pray to keep

Heaven send

Hell away

No one sings Like you

Anymore

Hang my head

Drown my fear

Till you all just

Disappear

[presidio9]

I'm saying your question is irrelevant.

[MrLeRoy]

You have no understanding of the effects of drugs on their users.

Sure I do---including the deadly addictive drugs alcohol and tobacco. But self-inflicted harms are none of the government's business, while the War On Some Drugs inflicts harm on many.

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

Thanks for making clear that you are unable to grasp even simple arguments.

[presidio9]

There you go again trying to associate alcohol with pot. It does not help your arguement.

[MHGinTN]

Your #36 post set a new record ... only thirty-five posts before the correct perspective was raised. Thank you.

And for you Libertarians (Libertines), the billions being flushed down a rat hole for a drug war are obviously going in the wrong direction, chasing the substance instead of addressing the root cause of substance abuse. Legalizing all manner of drugs isn't the solution either. Care to try and suggest some approach that addresses the root problem in our society?

[presidio9]

"But, Ma, all the other kids are doing it!"

Sorry. You nutjobs laid claim to that one long before I arrived on the scene.

[MrLeRoy]

The legalize drugs logic employs exaclty the same logic as the legalize abortion logic.

False---drugs harm only the user, whereas abortion harms another person.

[headsonpikes]

"Please put down the bong before you post."

From a man who constantly sniffs at the unseemly debating style of those who hold contrary views, this is surprising.

Or perhaps not.

[presidio9]

There you go again trying to associate alcohol with pot. It does not help your argument.

[presidio9]

False---drugs harm only the user, whereas abortion harms another person.

100% wrong. Come to my soup kitchen with me this weekend and see if you can still look yourself in the mirror after making this ridiculous claim.

[MrLeRoy]

the billions being flushed down a rat hole for a drug war are obviously going in the wrong direction, chasing the substance instead of addressing the root cause of substance abuse. Legalizing all manner of drugs isn't the solution either. Care to try and suggest some approach that addresses the root problem in our society?

Government cannot solve that problem. It can stop creating new ones with its criminalization of drugs.

[MrLeRoy]

You nutjobs laid claim to that one

Pathetic tu quoque.

[presidio9]

From a man who constantly sniffs at the unseemly debating style

How do you figure? Falsely attributing quotes to me is the same as trying to use typos as a defense for a stupid philospohy in your world?

[MrLeRoy]

There you go again trying to associate alcohol with pot.

There you go again lying and evading.