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.

[Xenalyte]

I'm asking for information and clarification. Would you please at least tell me who the "greatest and finest" is, so I can go from there? The FR main page shows nothing.

[toothless]

It will kill the 'treatment' industry, which is makes most of its money from court referals for MJ posession. All of that 'business' would be gone.

To claim that the only thing stoping people from taking up crack or H is the fear of jail is silly.

Look at the neatherlands, 30 years of MJ decrim and a lower hard drug use rates then the US. Then look at england. US stlye WOD and the highest hard drug rates in europe.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

The FR main page shows nothing.

Why would you look there?

[MrLeRoy]

people who use drugs DO effect the lives of others.

They affect them, perhaps, but do they violate the rights of others, and if so, how?

[Xenalyte]

Because FR is where most of the news gets posted first. Who is the "greatest and finest," for the third time?

[AxelPaulsenJr]

This is much more pleasant to look at than the rantings of these anti-woddies.

[laotzu]

"an idiot because he did drugs..or..says pot leads to other drugs?"

You have it backwards. He did drugs, & he says stupid things, because he's an idiot.

"Idiot" is not something you do, it is something you are.

[Xenalyte]

I'm not ranting at you. I'm asking you a simple question (for the fourth time, I might add) that you could answer in two words. Who is the "greatest and finest" to whom you refer?

[bird4four4]

Looking at pornography is damaging to society and effects people other than the viewer. It is addictive. People rape and assult as a result. Lets make attractive women illegal!! /taliban

[AxelPaulsenJr]

In the first place I believe I said "one of drugdums greatest and finest"

In the second place, if you really need the help for that answer, look to the title of this thread.

[MrLeRoy]

Paging presidio9 ....

The argument is that since we are prospering with (despite?) legal alcohol---which is more addictive than pot, and, unlike pot, increases violence and leads to fatal overdoses---therefore we can prosper with legal pot.

By your very own observations, people are dying like flies due to alcohol. Some of these people have never had a drink in their lives and they get killed/harmed by association. That's prospering?

Compared to Prohibition---with its deaths of innocents in turf wars, deaths of users due to impurities, enrichment of criminals, corruption of the justice system by enriched criminals, and lessened respect for the law in general---yes, that's prospering. Utopia is not an option.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

IMHO that ain't pornography, she still got her clothes on.

[MrLeRoy]

"one of drugdums greatest and finest"

That's drugdOm. Man, why can't WODdies spell?

[Xenalyte]

You did indeed, and it confused me because I wasn't sure what a Drugdum is. I think you meant to say "drugdom's."

Beyond that, although I'm not sure I'd characterize Ozzy as one of the "greatest and finest" of anything, I thank you for answering.

[MrLeRoy]

Paging presidio9 ....

I am concerned about the destruction of lives [...] If you are concerned with human life you should spend your energy trying to get booze outlawed

So are you spending your energy trying to get booze outlawed---or are you a hypocrite?

[laotzu]

"They believe in putting people in jail for private behavior to protect 'society'. Hardly a conservitive position."

Quite right. That is not a conservative position.

That is not where the conflict occurs. It is a dispute about whether it is "private behavior".

[AxelPaulsenJr]

You welcum.

[MrLeRoy]

It is a dispute about whether it is "private behavior".

A guy smokes a bowl in his living room---how is that not private behavior?

[AxelPaulsenJr]

You did indeed, and it confused me because I wasn't sure what a Drugdum is. I think you meant to say "drugdom's."

No, in this case where I feel that the use of illegal and mind altering substances in DUMB, the spelling error was in not finishing the word with a B.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

We can. See post number 499.